We are studying the Kindertransport today, which is German for “children’s transport.” The Nazis murdered Jewish people, including children, as a target population during World War II. Numerous organisations made every effort to assist in getting people to safety. Jewish families put a lot of effort into getting their kids out of danger by using the Kindertransport and working with these organisations.
After Kristallnacht, when Nazis attacked Jewish people and their property, arresting people, demolishing buildings, and robbing stores, a programme to get kids to safety was started. 10,000 youngsters fled on foot, by rail, and by ship to England from countries under the control of the Nazis, including Germany, Austria, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.
The first group of 196 orphanage kids was organised and led by Florence Nankivell. During Kristallnacht, the Nazis set it on fire. On December 2, 1938, Nankivell transported the young person from Berlin, Germany, to Harwich, Great Britain. Before the war closed the borders in September 1939, many people assisted children in finding refuge in Great Britain.
The final known Kindertransport left the Netherlands on May 14, 1940—the day the Dutch capitulated to Germany. The children transported to England were all under the age of 17. Due to strict rules, their families were unable to leave the country. People from several nations assisted in transporting these predominantly Jewish children.
The kids were placed in approved foster care. To assist these kids, these households received weekly or monthly payments. Numerous organisations, both religious and agnostic, assisted in setting up accommodations for the refugees. They requested homes for these youngsters from the people of Great Britain and made sure the homes would be secure.
Every child received £50 to spend on their families. Many people did not have family to go back to after the war. The Holocaust claimed the lives of their relatives. Numerous young people relocated to Israel, America, Canada, or Australia, while others remained in Britain.
However, their stories didn’t end there. The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) is a group that children who were part of the Kindertransport and their families can join. This group offers assistance and support to Holocaust survivors and refugees from any nation that was under Nazi occupation. They also accept family members as members. The AJR was established in 1941 by Central European Jewish refugees. Additionally, the AJR organises gatherings for survivors.
On September 1st, 2022, there was one of those gatherings. In Harwich, they dedicated a statue that day called “Safe Haven.” This statue joins those in Prague, Czechoslovakia; London, England; Gdansk, Poland; Berlin and Hamburg, Germany; and the Hook of Holland, Netherlands. These are the significant locations for the Kindertransport and those it impacted.
As they moved away from their homes and into another country, the Kindertransport children showed resiliency. To avoid ever again needing a Kindertransport, we all need to educate ourselves and one another more about the Holocaust.
Content for this question contributed by Mary Roediger, resident of Willits, Mendocino County, California, United States, USA
