Who is Jane Haining and why is a mural being created for her?

Jane Haining was a Scottish missionary and matron of the Scottish Mission School in Budapest during World War II, who stayed to protect Jewish schoolgirls and was later murdered by the Nazis; a mural is being created to honor her bravery.

Where will the Jane Haining mural be located?

The mural dedicated to Jane Haining will be painted on a wall at Brown's Lane and Shuttle Street in Paisley, Scotland.

When is the Jane Haining mural expected to be completed?

The artists hope to start work on the Jane Haining mural in the spring of 2026 and estimate it will take around 25 days to complete.

Home / War and Conflict / Mural honors wartime heroine who defied Nazis

Mural honors wartime heroine who defied Nazis

29 Jan

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Summary

Artwork unveiled to honor missionary Jane Haining's bravery.
Haining stayed with Jewish schoolgirls in Budapest during WWII.
Mural will be painted on a wall in Paisley, Scotland.

Mural honors wartime heroine who defied Nazis

Artwork for a new mural dedicated to Jane Haining, a Scottish missionary murdered by Nazis, has been revealed. Haining served as matron of the Scottish Mission School in Budapest during World War II. She famously refused to leave the Jewish girls under her care, staying with them throughout the war.

In April 1944, Haining was arrested and subsequently deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she died in a gas chamber. The mural's unveiling in Paisley coincided with Holocaust Memorial Day. Paisley was chosen as the site for Scotland's first memorial wall mural to Haining due to her prior decade of employment at J&P Coats' Ferguslie Mill.

The mural, measuring approximately 9ft high and 65ft long, will be painted on Brown's Lane and Shuttle Street. Its central image depicts Haining with children reading, flanked by portraits of her at different ages. Commissioned by the Renfrewshire branch of Unison, the design by Paisley artists Alexander Guy and Caroline Gormley is inspired by various artistic styles.