Lydia Tischler, a 97-year-old Holocaust survivor and child psychotherapist, has been honoured as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in a ceremony at Windsor Castle. The recognition celebrates her profound contributions to Holocaust remembrance and child psychotherapy.
A Life Forged in Adversity
Originally from Ostrava in the Czech Republic, Ms Tischler arrived in the United Kingdom as a refugee in 1945. Her early life was marked by unimaginable trauma, having survived the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration camp and the Theresienstadt Ghetto. Tragically, her mother was murdered at Auschwitz, while Lydia and her sister were forced into labour, digging trenches at the camp.
Building a Legacy of Healing
After settling in the UK, Lydia Tischler trained as a child psychologist, dedicating her career to helping others. She now resides in London. During the MBE ceremony on Wednesday, she engaged in what she described as "a very intelligent conversation" with the Princess Royal, who presented her with the honour.
Reflecting on the occasion, Ms Tischler humorously noted she was "holding up," but expressed genuine pleasure at receiving the MBE. She explained how her professional path in psychotherapy became integral to processing her own past.
The Central Message: Understanding Hate
In a powerful statement to the Press Association, Ms Tischler articulated the core message she hopes to impart. "My legacy, at least what I hope to pass on to people, is to help them to understand what makes people hate each other and feel that they can destroy them," she said.
She emphasised the critical role of psychological insight in societal change. "Unless we understand the psychological mechanism that makes it possible, nothing can change. That is my message," Ms Tischler asserted, linking her personal history to a universal call for deeper comprehension of human behaviour.
The Therapist's Journey
Ms Tischler detailed the personal demands of her profession, highlighting that effective therapeutic work requires intense self-examination. "In order to do the kind of work that I did, or do, you have to have your own personal analysis," she explained.
"You have to actually go through your life and process it and find a way of coping with all the things that were really very difficult. Unless you sort yourself out, you can’t really help to sort out other people," she added, underscoring the connection between personal healing and the capacity to aid others.
This MBE award not only honours Lydia Tischler's decades of service but also amplifies her urgent plea for society to explore the psychological underpinnings of hatred and violence, aiming to prevent future atrocities through greater understanding and empathy.
