After Kristallnacht , on 9 – 10 November 1938 , Essinger was asked to set up a reception camp in Dovercourt for 10,000 German children who would be arriving on the Kindertransports . Essinger , then nearly 60 years old , worked with three teachers , her cook and six of the older pupils to establish the camp , taking some of them into her school . With this , she also sought out families and homes to care for refugee children . Local British committees sought out placements for the children and tried to match children with families where they would fit in . However , the manner in which it was done appalled Essinger , who likened it to a " cattle market " , where attractive children were chosen , but less attractive ones were not , lowering morale . The experience of running the reception camp and placing the children was so difficult , that afterward , Essinger refused to talk about it
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Anna Essinger