Children of War in Europe was an Online Project with an integrated History Camp in Berlin, Germany. The Online Project lasted from April to September 2015; the History Camp in Berlin took place from 6 to 12 August 2015. 20 participants from 14 different European countries took part in the project.
The Topic
War Childrens’ perspectives as a new approach to European history
70 years after WW II, only few eyewitnesses are still alive. Most of them experienced WW II as children. What did they experience and how did they cope with their often traumatic past? And why are not all of their fates anchored in the collective memory of their countries?
The project focused on consequences of warfare on children as much as on the way fates of War Children were perceived in the post-conflict societies. The project’s main objective was to research individual fates, to put their individual experiences in the context of different national discourses in Europe and to discuss what might be learnt from their biographies for today. Click here to view the project’s announcement.
How was the project organised?
The Online Project took place on the History Campus platform. Participants had their own group with a forum, a newsfeed and a document’s section. Here, participants were given research-tasks (Riddles) on a regular basis and were provided with information, news and literature related to the project and the topic of children of war. In addition to the forum, there were two webinars offered in the course of the project.
In preparation for the History Camp in Berlin, participants worked in ten groups of two. Each of those binational tandems chose a topic, which each participant researched from his home-country’s point of view. In Berlin, participants met face to face for the first time, put together their results and reflected on their experiences. The Tandem’s results were published on the History Campus.
The Participants
The participants holding the names of their ancestors, who were children of war. Photo: Agency for Historical, Civic and Media Education, Berlin
The Projects
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Find out about the research results of 10 binational tandems from 13 different European countries! Fates of children, some previously unexplored, become visible as well as information on perpetrators and rescuers within a European context. Learn about the differences and similarities between children of war from the 20th century and those who are trying to escape war today.
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Learn about personal and scientific perspectives on the identity of children of war given to participants during the Remembrance Day organised by the Körber Foundation and the German Historical Museum in Berlin in May 2015. |
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Remembering Children of War in Europe What do you know about kindertransports? Have you ever heard about the fates of over 200.000 children during the siege of Leningrad? And why is it that children of perpetrator families are mostly neglected in the collective European remembrance? Learn about these topics in our answers to seminar’s riddles focusing on forgotten or neglected facts on children of war in Europe.
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Listen to two real and two fictional podcasts about the currently Europe-wide discussed topic “Children of War”. |
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Watch Through the eyes of the children, a video clip documenting artistically our tour to the Sachsenhausen Memorial – a former Nazi concentration camp (1936–1945) and later Soviet Special Camp (1945–1950) in the north of Berlin. |
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Dealing with Children of war today We would like to invite you to participate in our quiz „Political Facts in your Mind“, which provides you with current numbers and facts about the situation of children of war today. In addition, we had a look at how children can be effectively protected from war and its consequences. |
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Have a look at the different fates of children of war represented by love letters, bricks of walls, artistically counterfeited bank notes or engagement rings made of steel tubes. |
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Learn about our participants of the project
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Organisers
The Children of War in Europe Online Project was initiated and financed by Körber-Stiftung. Operating partner was the Agency for Historical, Civic and Media Education, Berlin.
