ARTWORK has been unveiled for a striking new wall mural to commemorate the bravery of Dunscore’s Jane Haining who died in Auschwitz. But it won’t be located in this region, instead it’s at Paisley where she worked as a secretary at J&P Coats’ Ferguslie Mill for ten years before moving to Budapest in 1932 to take up her role at the Church of Scotland school there. The black and white design, above, will adorn a wall on thoroughfares that Miss Haining used on her way to and from work. Measuring approximately 9ft high and 65ft long, an image of Miss Haining surrounded by children reading a book is at the heart of the mural with portraits of her as a young woman and older woman on either side. It also depicts buildings that were central to her life - the cottage in Dunscore where she was born, Ferguslie Mill, the Scottish Mission School and Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she was branded prisoner 79467 and forced to work as a slave labourer. [caption id="attachment_66144" align="alignnone" width="680"]
The artists, Alexander Guy and Caroline Gormley[/caption] Commissioned by the Renfrewshire branch of Unison, the mural was designed by Paisley-based artists Alexander Guy and Caroline Gormley, who consulted with Miss Haining’s family. They hope to start work on it in the spring. Mr Guy said: “I did not know the story of Jane Haining before we were asked to do this and I found it fascinating to research the information about her life. “The more I read about her, the more I realised how remarkable she was. Jane Haining was a true heroine and her story needs recognition and I’m very honoured and privileged to produce a mural that hopefully does her and all her relatives proud.” Ms Gormley said: “I did not know the story of Jane Haining and I was very moved it when I started researching it. “Knowing she had the opportunity to leave Budapest but didn’t because of the children, that takes a really special person to stand her ground, and not just think of herself and think of other people. “That’s a strong, strong character and I was struck by the amount of empathy Jane had for people. “I hope the mural makes people inquisitive to find out more about her and what she did to protect children during a dark time that wasn’t that long ago.” Meanwhile, Jane’s niece Deirdre MacDowell added: “It tells Jane’s story beautifully with the image of her and the children at the centre of it.”
