Hella Pick

Hella Pick CBE (born in Vienna, Austria in 1929) is a British journalist of Austrian descent.

Born into a middle class Jewish family, she was three years old when her parents divorced, and she was raised by her mother.Following Germany’s annexation of Austria in 1938 and a visit from the Gestapo, Pick’s mother was determined to leave Austria. Pick was put on a Kindertransport and arrived in Britain in March 1939. Her mother managed to get a visa and joined her three months later. [ [http://www.throughmyeyes.org.uk/server/show/nav.22181 Through my eyes, Hella Pick] ]

Pick went to school in the Lake District and quickly learned English. But she felt awkward about her identity. For a while she refused to speak German at all, even with her mother. In 1948, Pick became a British citizen. This meant a lot to her because she no longer felt herself to be a refugee. Her successful career as a journalist and writer led to her becoming a CBE in 2000.

Pick studied at the London School of Economics. In 1960 she became the UN correspondent of "The Guardian" newspaper where she was tutored by its chief US correspondent Alastair Cooke. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2004/mar/31/pressandpublishing.broadcasting Hella Pick, "The Guardian"] , March 31, 2004]

She has also written for the "New Statesman. [ [http://www.newstatesman.com/writers/hella_pick "New Statesman" articles by Hella Pick] ]

In Germany she became famous due to her appearance on the TV-shows "Internationales Frühschoppen" and "Presseclub".

Pick now has dual British and Austrian citizenship, and visits Austria regularly, her ‘home away from home.’

Bibliography

*"Simon Wiesenthal: A Life in Search of Justice", Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1996
*"Guilty Victim - Austria from the Holocaust to Haider", I B Tauris & Co Ltd, 2000

References