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The New York Times has taken a dive into the history of Alderney, with a feature piece on the “dark history” of the “small island” during the Occupation.
The story, penned by Claire Moses, appeared in the major US newspaper on March 3 titled “An Island Haunted by War Grapples With Its Horrific Past”.
It compares the current feel of the island to its near five-year stint under the reign of the Nazis, when two labour and two extermination camps were constructed under the auspices of Organisation Todt and the Schutzstaffel – Helgoland, Borkum, Norderney and Sylt respectively.
Perspective is also given to the ongoing inquiry into what happened in the island during that period. Led by a panel of experts, the hope is to update the numbers of people who were brought to the island died at the hands of the Nazis. Many researchers doubt the official statistics.
The articles states that Alderney “is at the center of a debate about how to remember Nazi atrocities and live mindfully among sites where misdeeds occurred — and how to reckon with the fact that Britain never held anyone responsible for running an SS concentration camp on its soil”.
It also contains interviews with Alderney politicians and residents who bat down claims they don’t want to acknowledge what happened, and concerns the island is being told what to do by external influences.
But it also highlights the feel of the place nearly 80-years later: “Alderney residents today enjoy a deep love for the place, a yearning for a peaceful an quiet lifestyle and the added benefit of low taxes”.
A report from the UK government led inquiry is due to be published this spring.
You can read the article HERE.
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