Child transport
Hopefuls
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Goodbye, Mom! Goodbye, Dad! See you soon, my child!
At the end of 1938, after the November pogroms, a dramatic journey begins for thousands of Jewish children: between December 1938 and September 1939, around 20,000 children and young people from Germany, Austria, parts of Czechoslovakia and Poland leave their homes – alone, without their families, often still full of hope for a quick reunion.
First and foremost, Great Britain is taking in around 10,000 children. The prerequisite for their entry is that private sponsors or aid organizations guarantee accommodation, care, and education. Other countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA are also opening their borders to these young refugees.
In Germany, Jewish welfare organizations in particular organize the transports – in Frankfurt under the leadership of Martha Wertheimer. From there, as from Berlin, Vienna or Prague, the children set off with a suitcase, a handbag and ten Reichsmarks – nothing more is allowed. Valuables are prohibited. Toys that could provide comfort are left behind.
Farewell to the unknown
The farewells at the train stations are marked by a painful silence. Parents try to maintain composure, knowing that this could be their last contact with their children. For many, the child transport was the only way to save at least their children’s lives – a desperate act of care.
After long train and ship journeys, the children reach a foreign country: a new language, unfamiliar rules, unknown people. Many are frightened and unsure, and have to quickly adapt – yet they live with the constant worry about their abandoned families.
Few ever see their parents again.
Traces of child transport
The Kindertransport has shaped generations: separation, loss, and the abrupt transition to adulthood are experiences that many of the rescued children could never forget – yet they often found their way. Many later became involved themselves in helping refugees or, as witnesses, told of their experiences so that this story would not be forgotten.
Ardi Goldman Kunst-
und Kulturstiftung gGmbH
Uniongelände
Hanauer Landstraße 188, 60314 Frankfurt am Main