Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. As a result of a lack of documentation, we do not know who provided many of the testimonies, including the identities of the children in the document above. [20], There were also Kindertransports to other countries, such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark. It was understood at the time that when the crisis was over, the children would return to their families. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The medical condition of refugee children from Germany. Nicky's Family (2011), a Czech documentary film. The fast, unescorted liner, SS Arandora Star was sunk by German submarine U-47 on 2 July 1940. Education (ED) Correspondence about refugee children continuing into higher education or technical training and its funding. Kindertransport Association. (USHMM), collection RG 59.075 mh 55-704. The following document is just one of a unique collection of 365 eyewitness testimonies gathered in the days, weeks, and months following the November Pogrom of 1938, alternatively known as Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass. had run out of funds. Below is a list of the different types of government records available within the collection. In the wake of antisemitic violence coordinated by the Nazi regime in Germany in November 1938, the British government allowed unaccompanied minors under the age of 17 from the German Reich (including recently annexed territories) to enter Great Britain as refugees. On the 9th and 10th November 1938, there was a widespread series of violent attacks against Jewish individuals and property throughout Germany and annexed Austria. This list is available through the Making New Lives website. My Knees Were Jumping: Remembering the Kindertransports (1996; released theatrically in 1998), narrated by Joanne Woodward. The Kitchener Camp online exhibition - Has a list of names of the Jewish men and boys who passed through Kitchener Camp. Between 1938 and 1939 some 10,000 children were sent without their parents from Nazi Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia to safety in Britain. children up to the age of 17 from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland We apologize for any inconvenience. 2021 The Wiener Holocaust Library. Escape From Berlin (2013), a novel by Irene N. Watts, is the fictional account of two Jewish girls, Marianne Kohn and Sophie Mandel, who fled Berlin through the Kindertransport. He also saved large numbers of Jews with South American protection papers. These children came to the United Kingdom as part of the Kindertransport and were being, Kindertransports (Rescue operations) --Registers. --Directories. Foreign Office (FO) Reports and correspondence which deal with the Jews in Danzig and emigration of children from Danzig and expulsion of Jews from occupied Poland. Oppenheimer, Deborah and Harris, Mark Jonathan. Neither the German nor the English governments have ever released name lists of the children, though many appear in publications of the Kindertransport Association based in London. While most transports went via train, some also went by boat,[32] and others aeroplane. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. (Hansard, 21 November 1938)", "RACIAL, RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL MINORITIES. New York: Bloomsbury, 2018. The British Jewish community and the Quakers advocated for rescuing vulnerable children and bringing them to Britain. The Kindertransport. The association shares their stories, honours those who made the Kindertransport possible, and supports charitable work that aids children in need. These documents can be used to support any of the exam board specifications covering, for example: AQA GCE History A Tauris, 2011. The groups, though considering all refugees, were specifically allied under a non-denominational organisation called the "Movement for the Care of Children from Germany". Kindertransports (Rescue operations) --Great. That night, the Dundee Evening Telegraph reported, Two hundred boy and girls arrived at Harwich today. If you are able to read both German and English, does your interpretation of the letters differ from one to the other? The lack of names is partially due to the nature in which they were gathered, but also due to the fact that they were sometimes intentionally withheld. Every refugee crisis has a context". About 1,000 German and Austrian prior-kinder who reached adulthood went on to serve in the British armed forces, including in combat units. Ministry of Health document for a Kindertransport, 28 December 1938 (MH 55/704) England - Transport via Southampton. This film shows the Kindertransport in very personal terms by presenting the actual stories through in-depth interviews with several individual kinder, rescuers Norbert Wollheim and Nicholas Winton, a foster mother who took in a child, and a mother who lived to be reunited with daughter Lore Segal. After the pogrom, the British government eased immigration restrictions for certain categories of Jewish refugees. Why is it shorter than a normal address? By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Many speeches expressed horror at the idea of interning refugees, and a vote overwhelmingly instructed the Government to "undo" the internment. It was narrated by Richard Attenborough, directed by Sue Read, and produced by Jim Goulding. London: I.B. [7][failed verification] Among other measures, they requested that the British government permit the temporary admission of unaccompanied Jewish children, without their parents. New York: Devora, 2008. Print. The United Kingdom took in nearly 10,000 predominantly Jewish children from Nazi Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the Free City of Danzig. files, and consists of a mixture of German departure and English arrival [46] Under the loose direction of the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia, headed by Doreen Warriner, Winton spent three weeks in Prague compiling a list of children in Czechoslovakia, mostly Jewish, who were refugees from Nazi Germany. Some are these are available for browsing in our Reading Room while others can be located by searching for children, refugees or rescue in our online catalogue. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2015-2023 EHRI Consortium name lists of the children, though many appear in publications of the The train left Berlin on 1 December 1938, and arrived in Harwich on 2 December with 196 children. None of the testimonies in this collection were written directly by the individual providing testimony. Neither the German nor the English governments have ever released They are not the operational records of the project, and dont represent a systematic or complete listing of all the children rescued over the period, because it was not a centrally organised or collated effort, but rather an emergency measure to allow unaccompanied children under the age of 17 entry to the UK. The priorities of the R.C.M. Print. Organised rescue of Jewish children during the Holocaust. We understand that the document was prepared by W. H. Loewinsohn (who later changed his name to Friedl Low), Assistant Secretary to Nicky in London. The children were selected by Jewish organisations in Germany and placed in foster homes and orphanages in Sweden.[22]. This ship was the last to leave the country freely. [68] It was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Jewish organizations within the Greater German Reich (which in 1938 included Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland) planned the transports. As a result of Nazi persecution, there was a rise in the number of Jews wanting to emigrate as circumstances for Jews in Germany and its annexed countries changed. Items with shelf mark S3b are related to Jewish Refugees in Britain. Special thanks to Warren Blatt and Michael Tobias for their The most comprehensive list of the Kinder available has been created by the Association of Jewish Refugees. [6][34], Many representatives went with the parties from Germany to the Netherlands, or met the parties at Liverpool Street station in London and ensured that there was someone there to receive and care for each child. The Kindertransport was without doubt one of the only beacons of humanity throughout the Second World War, the time of greatest inhumanity in the modern world. Dutch humanitarian Geertruida Wijsmuller-Meijer arranged for 1,500 children to be admitted to the Netherlands; the children were supported by the Dutch Committee for Jewish Refugees, which was paid by the Dutch Jewish Community. Some of the first unaccompanied child refugees to arrive in England as part of the Kindertransport. She had collected 66 of the children from the orphanage on the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam, part of which had been serving as a home for refugees. Alternatively, teachers may wish to use the collection to develop their own resources or encourage students to curate their own exhibition. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. They did not insist that the homes for Jewish children should be Jewish homes. Inside Britain, the Movement for the Care of Children from Germany coordinated many of the rescue efforts. Nor did they probe too carefully into the motives and character of the families: it was sufficient for the houses to look clean and the families to seem respectable. While I have found a web site dedicated to this operation, it does not seem to have any information on specific children rescued. How did the parents apply to get their children included? This led to evacuations of British children on passenger liners under the Children's Overseas Reception Board and the United States Committee for the Care of European Children to be protected by convoys. Kindertransport, (German: "Children Transport") the nine-month rescue effort authorized by the British government and conducted by individuals in various countries and by assorted religious and secular groups that saved some 10,000 children, under age 17 and most of them Jewish, from Nazi Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the free city of Danzig (Gdask) by relocating them to . Initially the children came mainly from Germany and Austria (part of the Greater Reich after Anschluss). She was also involved in working to arrange the award of 2,500 euros from the German Government to each of the kinder. Many children went through trauma during their extensive Kindertransport experience. Some children from Czechoslovakia (which was dismantled by Germany between September 1938 and March 1939) were flown by plane directly to Britain. Archives, Open Government Licence It is also important to note that additional errors may have been introduced during the translation process, reminding us how important it is to retain and make accessible the transcription of the text. However, in February 1939, this bill failed to get Congressional approval.[57]. There may be some information available at The National Archives described here which leads you to a searchable catalogue at http://www.movinghere.org.uk/default.htm. Before the outbreak of war in September 1939 some 10,000 predominately Jewish children were sent without their parents from Nazi Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia to safety in Britain. Based on this historical context,Mr Flrsheim wasmost likely a relief worker or one of the people accompanying the Kindertransport and the postcards were either transcribed by him or one of his colleagues before posting them to Germany from the Hook of Holland (the last place referred to in the letters). The Kindertransport Association is a national American not-for-profit organisation whose goal is to unite these child Holocaust refugees and their descendants. Harris, Mark Jonathan, and Deborah Oppenheimer. This is a fascinating collection of digitised government documents relating to the Kindertransport operation, dating from 1939 to 1945, held by The National Archives. The Kindertransport was the movement of German, Polish, Czechoslovakian and Austrian Jewish children to the United Kingdom before the outbreak of World War II. This particular document may not be what one normally has in mind when one thinks of a testimony. Soon there were 500 offers, and RCM volunteers started visiting possible foster homes and reporting on conditions. Britain, Registers of licences to pass beyond the seas, 1573-1677, Great Western Railway Shareholders 1835-1932, Archive reference to be used when browsing the Kindertransport records. Choose a name from this list of forever popular baby boy names. Tel: 0208.736.1265. [19], In the following nine months almost 10,000 unaccompanied, mainly Jewish, children travelled to England. Why can't the change in a crystal structure be due to the rotation of octahedra? Is it possible to control it remotely? In addition, thanks to JewishGen Inc. for providing the website But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. When Churchill's internment policy became known, there was a debate in Parliament. This list is available through the 'Making New Lives' website. "80th Anniversary of Kindertransport Marked with Compensation Payment to Survivors", "British Quakers and the rescue of Jewish refugees", "Jews saved by U.K. stockbroker to reenact 1939 journey to safety", "Kindertransport statue to mark WWII refugees' arrival in Harwich", "Nicholas Winton, the Schindler of Britain", "Troublesome Sainthood: Nicholas Winton and the Contested History of Child Rescue in Prague, 1938-1940", The Abandonment of the Jews: America and the Holocaust 19411945, "Lily Renee, Escape Artist: From Holocaust Survivor to Comic Book Pioneer", "Tovah Feldshuh is very becoming in 'Becoming Dr. Ruth', "Sex therapist, researcher Dr. Ruth given honorary doctorate by BGU; Born in Germany into a religious Jewish household in 1928, Dr. Ruth Westheimer was sent to Switzerland on the Kindertransport at age 10. [54], In contrast to the Kindertransport, where the British Government waived immigration visa requirements, these OTC children received no United States government visa immigration assistance. The name Kindertransport came into use in the late 20th century. When a gnoll vampire assumes its hyena form, do its HP change? One of these was Peter Masters, who wrote a book which he proudly titled Striking Back. [47][48] Winton's mother also worked with him to place the children in homes, and later hostels, with a team of sponsors from groups like Maidenhead Rotary Club and Rugby Refugee Committee. The Jewish Community in Prague May have records on children from Czechoslovakia and their families. The Yad Vashem Archives Are an invaluable resource in Holocaust family history research. Kindertransport. On December 2, 1938, the first Kindertransport arrived200 children from a . For the Kindertransport, each child required a guarantee of 50 (to be held by the Board of Deputies of British Jews to ensure that any refugee from Nazi persecution-the guarantees were also for. They were mostly collected in the days and weeks immediately following 9-10 November 1938 itself for the specific and immediate purpose of disseminating a series of reports documenting the violent antisemitic attacks. A companion book with the same title expands upon the film. How would you describe the mood of the letters? unique insight into the experience of the Kinder from their arrival, Visa and passport restrictions were lifted and children of seventeen and younger were able to enter Britain with a white card. The name Kristallnacht literally means Night of Crystal in German and owes its name to the shards of broken glass from the windows of Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues that littered the streets as a result of the destruction and looting throughout the pogrom. She points out that countries such as Britain and the United States did much to prevent immigration by turning desperate people away; at the vian Conference in 1938, participant nations failed to reach agreement about accepting Jewish refugees who were fleeing Nazi Germany.[74]. Privacy policy, The EHRI Project is supported by the European Commission, Loading EHRI data for item:gb-003348-wl_1375, "If This Is A Woman" Gender Studies and Holocaust History, Eyewitness reports regarding the November Pogrom, Pogrom November 1938: Testimonies from Kristallnacht, They became my children too: The Multi-layered meanings of family letters from the Jewish Maquis in France, Problems with Determining Provenance and Authenticity, The first name or nickname of the recipient(s), The first names of other friends or family mentioned in the letters, The town, city, or neighborhood of the recipients(s), The name and location of the orphanage from which they came, The first name or nickname of the sender(s), The relationship between the sender(s) and the recipients(s). [51], Wilfrid Israel (18991943) was a key figure in the rescue of Jews from Germany and occupied Europe.