{"id":458520,"date":"2022-06-06T20:25:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T17:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-surprising-true-origin-of-paddington-bear\/"},"modified":"2022-06-06T20:25:16","modified_gmt":"2022-06-06T17:25:16","slug":"the-surprising-true-origin-of-paddington-bear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-surprising-true-origin-of-paddington-bear\/","title":{"rendered":"#The surprising true origin of Paddington Bear"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3be698c6f2a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3be698c6f2a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-surprising-true-origin-of-paddington-bear\/#%E2%80%9CThe_surprising_true_origin_of_Paddington_Bear%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;The surprising true origin of Paddington Bear&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CThe_surprising_true_origin_of_Paddington_Bear%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;The surprising true origin of Paddington Bear&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>This weekend, two British institutions \u2014\u00a0Queen Elizabeth and Paddington Bear \u2014 charmed the world in a surprise skit that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2022\/06\/04\/queen-kicks-off-concert-in-skit-starring-her-and-paddington-bear\/\">kicked off the Platinum Party at the Palace tribute concert <\/a>outside Buckingham Palace.<\/p>\n<p>But many viewers might not have known the real origins of the ursine celebrity who hails from \u201cdarkest Peru\u201d\u00a0\u2014\u00a0yet was actually inspired by Jewish refugee children.<\/p>\n<p>Author Michael Bond, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, decided to write a book about an orphaned cub sent to England after spotting a toy bear alone on a shelf at Selfridge\u2019s department store on Christmas Eve in 1956.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt looked rather forlorn,\u201d he told The Sunday Telegraph, so he purchased the bear as a stocking stuffer for his wife and began to write a story about it. Less than two weeks later, he had a completed novel which was sold for 75 pounds.<\/p>\n<p>Bond revealed that while writing the first book, \u201cA Bear Called Paddington,\u201d he was partly inspired by vivid memories he had of seeing Jewish refugee children pass through the train station in his hometown of London, on their way to London from Nazi-dominated Europe ahead of World War II.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"710\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/michael-bond-paddington-01.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Author Michael Bond created Paddington after spotting a toy bear alone on a shelf at Selfridge's department store on Christmas Eve 1956.\" class=\"wp-image-22548353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/michael-bond-paddington-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/michael-bond-paddington-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/michael-bond-paddington-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Author Michael Bond created Paddington after spotting a toy bear alone on a shelf at Selfridge\u2019s department store on Christmas Eve 1956.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"792\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/kindertransport-03.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Paddington's backstory, meanwhile, was inspired by the Jewish children rescued by the Kindertransport operation that brought young refugees into England ahead of WWII.\" class=\"wp-image-22548362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/kindertransport-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/kindertransport-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/kindertransport-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Paddington\u2019s backstory, meanwhile, was inspired by the Jewish children rescued by the Kindertransport operation that brought young refugees into England ahead of WWII.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Kindertransport was an organized rescue effort that saw nearly 10,000 predominantly Jewish children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland settled in British foster homes and farms. Often they were the only members of their families who survived the Holocaust.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey all had a label round their neck with their name and address on and a little case or package containing all their treasured possessions. So Paddington, in a sense, was a refugee, and I do think that there\u2019s no sadder sight than refugees,\u201d he told <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2014\/nov\/28\/michael-bond-author-paddington-bear-interview-books-television-film\">The Guardian <\/a>in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>In the first book, the Brown family finds a bear at Paddington railway station in London, sitting on a battered suitcase with a note attached to his coat that reads: \u201cPlease look after this bear. Thank you.\u201d Paddington is an orphaned bear who was sent to the United Kingdom by his Aunt Lucy as she has gone to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/paddington-and-gueen-elizabeth-ii-01.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Queen Elizabeth and Paddington Bear charmed the world in a surprise skit that kicked off the Platinum Party at the Palace tribute concert on Saturday.\" class=\"wp-image-22548380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/paddington-and-gueen-elizabeth-ii-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/paddington-and-gueen-elizabeth-ii-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/paddington-and-gueen-elizabeth-ii-01.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Queen Elizabeth and Paddington Bear charmed the world in a surprise skit that kicked off the Platinum Party at the Palace tribute concert on Saturday.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Via Reuters<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/paddington-03.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Paddington has been featured in more than 20 books translated into 30 languages and that have sold more than 30 million copies.\" class=\"wp-image-22548407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/paddington-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/paddington-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/paddington-03.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Paddington has been featured in more than 20 books translated into 30 languages and that have sold more than 30 million copies.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Weinstein Company<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The book also features Paddington\u2019s best friend, Mr. Gruber, an antique dealer and Hungarian refugee who understands why Paddington sometimes feels like an \u201coutsider.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bond is said to have based the character on his <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/go.gale.com\/ps\/i.do?p=AONE&amp;u=googlescholar&amp;id=GALE|A106309521&amp;v=2.1&amp;it=r&amp;sid=sitemap&amp;asid=257a461b\">literary agent, Harvey Unna<\/a>, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 92.<\/p>\n<p>Unna was born in Hamburg to a Jewish family and was about to become a judge when he was dismissed from the German Civil Service on racial grounds. He managed to get out of Germany and made his way to England, where eventually he started a literary agency and found success representing Bond.<\/p>\n<p>Paddington has been featured in more than 20 books translated into 30 languages and that have sold more than 30 million copies.  Actor Ben Whishaw providing his voice for the popular \u201cPaddington\u201d movie and its sequel \u2014\u00a0while Volodymyr\u00a0Zelensky, now the president of Ukraine, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=paddington+zelensky+ny+post&amp;ei=OySeYpvoG-frkvQP68KXqA4&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjb8fDimJn4AhXntYQIHWvhBeUQ4dUDCA8&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=paddington+zelensky+ny+post&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBQghEKABMgUIIRCrAjIFCCEQqwI6BQgAEIAEOgYIABAeEBY6CAghEB4QFhAdSgQIQRgASgQIRhgAUMMDWNUJYN4KaAFwAXgAgAGcAYgB9gaSAQMxLjaYAQCgAQHAAQE&amp;sclient=gws-wiz\">did the voiceover in that country<\/a>.\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/06\/06\/the-surprising-true-origin-of-paddington-bear\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The surprising true origin of Paddington Bear&#8221; This weekend, two British institutions \u2014\u00a0Queen Elizabeth and Paddington Bear \u2014 charmed the world in a surprise skit that kicked off the Platinum Party at the Palace tribute concert outside Buckingham Palace. But many viewers might not have known the real origins of the ursine celebrity who hails&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":458521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/queen-elizabeth-paddington-bear.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[129995,130008,76206,70305,71589],"class_list":["post-458520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-6-6-22","tag-european-refugee-crisis","tag-queen-elizabeth","tag-royal-family","tag-world-war-ii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=458520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/458521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=458520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=458520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=458520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}