Recently, whilst holidaying in Europe long standing volunteer Tony Weldon had the opportunity to present the Upstander message to a group of students in Vienna. The school, Gymnasium am Augarten is situated in an area of Vienna that once had a large and vibrant Jewish community and many of the schools students were, prior to the Nazi invasion, in fact Jewish. Some years ago the school created a small museum in the basement of the building which outlines the history of that period and all the students spend time in the museum, which is opened to the public from time to time. Tony found it an extremely worthwhile experience and was very impressed by the interest shown by the students and the numerous questions they asked.
Teacher Anna Grandl wrote the following for the school newsletter describing Tony’s visit:
On Friday, May 22, 2026, our school had the privilege of welcoming a very special guest: as part of the memorial event “Zeitzeugen 2.0” (Contemporary Witnesses 2.0), Tony Weldon, accompanied by his wife Vivian, visited us.
In front of the seventh-grade classes, he delivered a moving presentation in the assembly hall, the first part of which focused on his own family history. Following the so-called “Anschluss” in 1938, his parents, both native Viennese, recognized the existential threat that National Socialism posed to them as a Jewish family. They left Austria and eventually made their way to Australia via Great Britain and Canada to build a new life. A fascinating parallel came to light only later: Mr. Weldon’s parents had traveled on the very same ship as the parents of his future wife, Vivian, who had also successfully escaped. However, the couple did not meet until years later in Australia.
Throughout the presentation, the students frequently had the opportunity to ask personal questions. In response to one of these questions, Mr. Weldon shared a valuable piece of advice with the young people: they should ask their parents and grandparents about their life experiences before it is too late. He noted that it is completely understandable for young people to live primarily in the here and now. However, the older one gets, the more pressing the questions about one’s own origins and identity often become. This makes it all the more important to learn these stories while the older generation is still here to tell them.
Mr. Weldon spoke about his own life with great gratitude and contentment. He emphasized that he knows how fortunate he was that his parents were able to leave Austria in time. Although starting over in a foreign country was difficult, he leads a peaceful life in Australia today and did not suffer any trauma as a result of his parents’ experience of fleeing.
In the second part of his presentation, Tony Weldon bridged the gap to his volunteer work with “Courage to Care,” linking it to the story of Vivian’s aunt, Hedy. “Courage to Care” is an Australian educational organization that aims to raise awareness among young people by examining the Holocaust. The goal is to demonstrate the vital importance of civil courage in combating bullying, racism, and discrimination.
Guided by the principle of not simply being a passive bystander but acting as an active “upstander,” he designed an interactive segment. During this part, he introduced the students to individuals who had risked their lives to rescue Jewish people during the National Socialist regime. Vivian’s aunt, Hedy Balcone, also owes her survival to such courageous helpers. Her moving life story can be read via the following link: Courage to Care – Hedys Geschichte (as of May 31, 2026).
We would like to thank Mr. Weldon and his wife Vivian from the bottom of our hearts for this visit, their openness, and the powerful dedication with which they engaged our students!
