Auschwitz Memorial Unveils Plaque Honoring Scottish Missionary Jane Haining

A new memorial plaque has been unveiled at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum to honor Jane Haining, a Scottish Christian missionary who died at the camp in 1944. Born in 1897, Haining served as the matron of the Scottish Mission School in Budapest, Hungary, beginning in 1932. Despite being advised by the Church of Scotland to return home at the outbreak of World War II, she chose to remain in Budapest to care for her students, many of whom were Jewish.

Following the German occupation of Hungary, Haining was arrested and deported to Auschwitz, where she died at age 47. Her plaque is part of a new exhibition corridor designed to restore identities to victims whose registration photographs were lost or never taken. Museum officials stated that the display aims to highlight the diverse backgrounds of those persecuted at the camp. Haining’s niece, Deirdre MacDowell, noted that the permanent memorial serves as a legacy of compassion, prompting reflection on the historical circumstances of her aunt's sacrifice.