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Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- The German Policy of Extermination and Germanization of Polish Children during World War II
- A Crime without Punishment: The Extermination of Polish Children during the Period of German Occupation from 1939 to 1945
- Polish Children and Youth in Auschwitz
- Suffering of Children in Auschwitz – Biological and Mental Extermination
- When There Were No More Tears Left to Cry: The Tragic Fate of the Polish Children Displaced from the Zamość Region in 1942–1943
- Children of the Zamość Region in the Majdanek Camp (in Selected Archive Files and Personal Accounts)
- The German Camp for Juvenile Poles in Łódź at Przemysłowa Street
- The Role of Gaukinderheim Kalisch in Germanization during World War II
- The Germanization of Polish Children and Youth in Gdańsk Pomerania and the Role of the Stutthof Concentration Camp
- Children’s Experiences in the German Displacement and Forced Labor Camp in Potulice and Smukała – Memories of Female Prisoners
- The Fate of the Children of Białystok under Soviet and German Totalitarianism during World War II
- Extermination of Juvenile Scouts in the Lands of Poland during the German Occupation of 1939–1945
- The Fate of Polish Children in Allied-occupied Germany in the Years 1945–1950
- The Returns of Polish Children from German Lands and Scouting Activity at the Transitional Center in Munich. The Polish West State Banner Established by Władysław Śmiałek and Its Role in Simplifying the Fate of Polish War Orphans
The Role of Gaukinderheim Kalisch in Germanization during World War II
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2021
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- The German Policy of Extermination and Germanization of Polish Children during World War II
- A Crime without Punishment: The Extermination of Polish Children during the Period of German Occupation from 1939 to 1945
- Polish Children and Youth in Auschwitz
- Suffering of Children in Auschwitz – Biological and Mental Extermination
- When There Were No More Tears Left to Cry: The Tragic Fate of the Polish Children Displaced from the Zamość Region in 1942–1943
- Children of the Zamość Region in the Majdanek Camp (in Selected Archive Files and Personal Accounts)
- The German Camp for Juvenile Poles in Łódź at Przemysłowa Street
- The Role of Gaukinderheim Kalisch in Germanization during World War II
- The Germanization of Polish Children and Youth in Gdańsk Pomerania and the Role of the Stutthof Concentration Camp
- Children’s Experiences in the German Displacement and Forced Labor Camp in Potulice and Smukała – Memories of Female Prisoners
- The Fate of the Children of Białystok under Soviet and German Totalitarianism during World War II
- Extermination of Juvenile Scouts in the Lands of Poland during the German Occupation of 1939–1945
- The Fate of Polish Children in Allied-occupied Germany in the Years 1945–1950
- The Returns of Polish Children from German Lands and Scouting Activity at the Transitional Center in Munich. The Polish West State Banner Established by Władysław Śmiałek and Its Role in Simplifying the Fate of Polish War Orphans
Summary
Abstract: This paper is a case study of the transit camp for children in Kalisz (Kalisch), Poland, during World War II. It includes an analysis of archives retrieved from the Polish National Archive in Kalisz and is based on the legacy of work done by Tadeusz Martyn. The aim is to reveal the policy of Germanization and cultural indoctrination, as well as conditions of everyday life in the facility. By placing the case within its ideological context, this study broadens the overall picture of Germanization during WWII in Central and Eastern Europe. The paper is supported by photographs of source materials, some of which have never been published before.
Keywords: Gaukinderheim Kalisch, Germanization, camp for children in Kalisz
Background
When the Germans were moving eastwards with the Blitzkrieg expansion, they did not only conquer new lands but also sustained heavy casualties on the increasing broad fronts of the World War II. The warzone left behind irreparable losses to European countries and their cultures, but the most severe losses were in human life on all sides of the conflict, including civilians – women, children, and prisoners of war (Sorge, 1986). Invaders paid special attention to children, knowing very well that children would be key to carrying on the next generation of Nazis and their ideology. New lifestyles were created and the education system was transformed, affecting children from the youngest ages. As an effect of these transformations, one could say that certain social groups were entirely re-socialized. The Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend) and the League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel – BDM) were organizations where children were specially groomed to become Nazi elites. At the same time, many teenagers were forcefully made to follow the ideas of the Third Reich in numerous orphanages and reformatories. Regardless of the setting, the lives of the youngest citizens were completely subjugated to the power of the state, and population growth was considered a major factor in the future growth of Nazi power.
The expansive military policy was fueled by the core ideas of National Socialism which had awoken in Germany in the early 1930’s, such as the superhuman (Übermensch), the master race (über Rasse), as well as a very selective understanding of notions such as the nation, social class, or totality.
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- Information
- Crime without PunishmentThe Extermination and Suffering of Polish Children during the German Occupation 1939–1945, pp. 151 - 162Publisher: Jagiellonian University PressPrint publication year: 2022