Judith Kerr was a successful children’s author, known for her illustrated books such as The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Mog the Forgetful Cat. Kerr was born in Berlin, Germany, into a Jewish family, the daughter of well-known theatre critic, poet and broadcaster, Alfred Kerr. Alfred, who had been a critic of the Nazi’s, fled Germany just before they came to power, in 1933. He was later joined by Judith, her brother Michael and her mother Julia, and this exhibition explores the family’s flight and life afterwards.
The Kerrs took refuge first in France, where they lived until 1936 before moving to London. Judith remained in Britain after the war and went on to study at the Central School of Arts and Crafts after winning a scholarship. She would go on to author many children’s books, including a trilogy of books about her experiences fleeing from Nazi Germany and living in France and then Britain, including When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.
With thanks to Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books.
The Kerr Family in Flight is part of Migration: a public history festival, a series of lectures, exhibitions, workshops and walks around London, supported by the Raphael Samuel History Centre.