“In the Children's Best Interests”

You are invited to hear Professor Lynne Taylor, tell us the story of these children.

History Speaker Series 2012-2013

“In the Children's Best Interests”: Unaccompanied Children in Germany, 1945-1949.

After the dust settled at the end of World War II, hundreds of thousands of refugees - known as displaced persons - remained in Germany, most in the American Occupation Zone. Among them were between 10,000 and 15,000 unaccompanied children - children who had been orphaned or separated from their families by the war. It took the international agencies and various governing authorities some time to recognize their existence. It took even longer to figure out what to do with them and the competing agendas of the various authorities responsible for their disposition further complicated matters, leaving many of the children in limbo in the displaced persons camps for years.

History department event page.