Former Kurkinder demand reappraisal of harassment
Banned from speaking, forced to sleep, harassment at mealtimes: What happened in German children's health resorts for decades after 1945 has not yet been comprehensively investigated. Millions of children between the ages of two and twelve were sent to spas to recover without their parents - many came back traumatized. Bad Salzdetfurth, a spa town in Lower Saxony, was also a destination for children who were sent away.
Those affected and academics came together here for the national congress "Reappraisal of child deportation". The annual conference of the "Verschickungskinder" initiative and the "Aufarbeitung und Erforschung Kinderverschickung" association is still running until Sunday. On Friday, three of those affected will talk about their experiences as children at the Waldhaus in Bad Salzdetfurth, according to the organizers.
Three deaths in just a few months
Within the space of a few months in 1969, a three-year-old was beaten to death by three six-year-old boys in the home, a seven-year-old choked on vomit and a girl died as a result of an infection. According to a study commissioned by Diakonie, there was at least some degree of negligence in all of the deaths.
Between 1950 and 1980, there was a mass deportation of healthy children, said Anja Röhl, founder of the "Verschickungskinder" initiative. After that, the number of children sent for treatment fell dramatically. However, there were still brutal forms of treatment in the remaining children's convalescent homes until the mid-1990s.
Since 2019, more and more former deported children have broken their silence. According to Röhl, around 10,000 of them have filled out a standardized questionnaire, and there are also thousands of reports of their experiences on internet platforms - many of which speak of harassment and abuse.
- The federal congress aimed to reevaluate the historical impact of sending children away for health reasons, addressing concerns of neglect and harassment that persisted in some children's convalescent homes until the 1990s.
- Despite advances in medicine and improvements in children's healthcare, numerous reports have emerged in recent years detailing the lack of care and health concerns related to the forced separation of children, with some alleging a 'cure' that amounted to abuse.
- Advocates for the reappraisal of child deportation have argued that the long-term effects of this historical practice on children's mental and social well-being necessitate further investigation, with a particular focus on the need for accountability and reparations.
Source: www.dpa.com
