Campaigner and Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental has died aged 90, leaving behind a “lasting legacy of dignity, courage and enlightenment”.Reichental was born in what is now Slovakia in 1935. After the Nazi invasion of the then Czechoslovakia in 1938/1939, he and his family went into hiding. They were taken to Bergen-Belsen, a concentration camp in Germany, in 1944, where he survived until being liberated one year later, though 30 members of his family were killed in the Holocaust.He moved to Ireland in 1959, but did not speak publicly about his experiences until some 55 years after the Holocaust – not even giving his wife details of his suffering.Reichental became known in Ireland and around the world thanks to a 2008 documentary, Till the Tenth Generation, by the Emmy award-winning film director Gerry Gregg. He subsequently wrote an autobiography, I Was a Boy in Belsen.Since then he has campaigned in memory of Holocaust victims, speaking at schools, clubs and conferences, including to more than 100,000 students.He was the central figure in the Condemned to Remember documentary released in 2017, which examined Reichental’s life and the Holocaust’s legacy in eastern Europe.Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tomi Reichental, someone who dedicated his life to teaching new generations about the evil of the Holocaust”.Reichental leaves a “lasting legacy of dignity, courage and enlightenment of others about the dangers of hatred and anti-Semitism”, he said.[ Condemned to Remember: The startling humanity of a Holocaust survivorOpens in new window ]He received various awards for his work, including a human rights honour from the Bar of Ireland and an honorary doctorate from Maynooth University.The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland said it was “deeply saddened” by Reichental’s death.“Tomi was one of Ireland’s most remarkable voices of remembrance, education and humanity,” the council said.“Having survived the horrors of Bergen-Belsen as a child, he dedicated much of his later life to ensuring that future generations would learn from the Holocaust and understand the dangers of hatred, prejudice and indifference.“For decades he shared his testimony with students, communities and audiences across Ireland, touching countless lives with his honesty, dignity, and unwavering belief in the importance of memory and reconciliation.”The council said Reichental was more than just a survivor of the Holocaust, but also “a teacher, a witness, and a cherished member of Irish society”.“His contribution to Holocaust education and to the fight against anti-Semitism and racism leaves a lasting legacy.”A memorial service will be held in his name but a date has yet to be determined.