Learning from the past: Finding Ivy — A life worthy of life
Dr Helen Atherton takes us on a powerful journey to reveal the harrowing stories of 13 British people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions during World War II. Through an upcoming exhibition and discussion, there’s now a chance for everyone to reflect, learn, and engage with this important history.
The visit that changed everything
In Autumn 2011, I stood before Hartheim Castle in Alkoven, near Linz. It was one of six centres used in Aktion T4 — a Nazi-led killing programme carried out by doctors and nurses, which targeted people with disabilities between 1940 and 1941.
Hartheim is now a place of learning and remembrance with a permanent exhibition dedicated to the 70,000 people who lost their lives. The majority of victims were of German and Austrian nationality, however what the Hartheim exhibition revealed was that some of the victims had been born in other countries — including the UK.
That discovery set me on an urgent mission.
Uncovering forgotten lives
My visit to Hartheim left me with a strong sense of needing to find out more about the lives of these UK victims. Who were they, and what events had led them to lose their lives in such a horrific way?
Whilst I could never fully avenge their deaths, I felt that there was something that could and should be done to ensure a proper memorialisation of their lives.
I was also aware of the value of their personal stories, not only as a historical artefact, but as a yardstick by which contemporary attitudes and practices directed at people with disabilities could be measured.
The journey to Finding Ivy
The first person whose life I researched was Ivy Angerer. Born in Broughty Ferry, Scotland in 1911, Ivy was killed at the age of 29 in 1940 for having a learning disability. Her story was the first, but it was far from the last I’d uncover.
I moved on to looking at another 12 British-born victims. It has not been an easy journey and has tested me both practically and emotionally. I have been lucky to have been helped along the way by an international team of researchers including some relatives of the victims.
The resultant Finding Ivy exhibition is testament to this joint commitment. Launched in January 2024, it has been shown across venues in Germany, Austria and the UK.
It continues to attract the attention of a wide range of people and fulfils its objective to remember and learn from the past.
Explore the exhibition — join the discussion
See the Finding Ivy — A Life Worthy of Life exhibition in Parkinson Court, University of Leeds, from 17 to 21 June during Learning Disability Week.
You can also join a discussion about the issues raised by this research. Dan Cohen, the next Lord Mayor of Leeds, chairs a panel on Thursday, 19 June from 5.30pm to 8pm, featuring:
- Dr Helen Atherton (School of Healthcare, University of Leeds)
- Dr Liz Corcoran (Down’s Syndrome Research Foundation UK)
- Dr Nancy Jennings (relative of Zdenko Hoyos, one of the 13 British-born victims)
- Jo Lay (Chair of the Learning/Intellectual Disability Nursing Academic Network).
Access to the exhibition and panel discussion is free.