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Anna M. Rosner
Unlike the adult migrations, Kindertransports can be characterised as well or¬
ganised and unified, with all the transports following the same pattern. They took
place under the auspices of the Movement for the Care of Children, later renamed
the Refugee Children’s Movement (RCM). The rescue operation also involved
World Jewish Relief‘, a Jewish charitable organisation founded in 1933 to support
Jews under the Nazi regime. British-based organisations were responsible for find¬
ing foster families, boarding schools, or orphanages willing to take care of the chil¬
dren. Then the information on the number of those with secured accommodations
was sent to the authorities in Germany and Austria.” People connected with local
charity organisations, synagogues, and Jewish communities created lists of families
seeking a way to send their children abroad. Those who had relatives willing to help
were given priority, later the lists focused on the families of the oppressed Jews—for
example those already arrested or suspected of political engagement who could be
interned at any time. Next to be enlisted were children from poorer families and
orphanages. Children were submitted by their parents, guardians, or community
representatives, who visited the families to explain the idea of the project. When
the list was closed, the RCM would arrange a train, which would take children
from the listed cities on a specified day. They would then travel to one of the Ger¬
man ports, where—after going through border control—they would be allowed to
board a ship leaving to England. On arrival in London (most of the Kindertrans¬
ports arrived at the Liverpool Street station), children travelled to their new places
of residence. However, the transports could not exceed the number of the children
for whom support would be provided.
Soon it became apparent that the numbers of those willing to travel were
greater than the number of places secured for the refugees. Jewish organisations
in Britain focused then on opening new places designed to take only children—
Jewish schools and orphanages were opened, many foster families were enlisted,
often without proper control over who was volunteering to become a guardian. The
haste and high number of minor immigrants complicated the course of the project.
Soon it became clear that many children were in fact kept in good conditions,
but cases of abuse or mistreatment were not isolated (Leverton & Lowensohn
2003). Approximately one-third of the children were placed in Christian homes.
An unknown number was denied their identity, baptised and simply brought up as
Christian British (Endelman 2002: 215). Many changed locations multiple times,
unable to fit in.
The Kindertransports project was intended from the very beginning to provide
a limited stay in Great Britain for the participating children. It was believed they
would be shortly going back home, as soon as the situation of their parents im¬
proved and it would be once again safe for them to reunite with their guardians.
® Formerly known as the Central British Fund for Germany Jewry.
> Some transports were also organised from Czechoslovakia, the free city of Gdañsk and Poland.