The IRO Children's Village Bad Aibling. a Refuge in the American

The IRO Children’s Village Bad Aibling A Refuge in the American Zone of Germany, 1948–1951 Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Philosophie an der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München vorgelegt von Christian Höschler am 5. Oktober 2016 (im Folgenden: durchgesehene und um einige Abbildungen gekürzte Online-Fassung, 2017) Referent: Prof. Dr. Hans-Michael Körner Korreferent: Prof. Dr. Andreas Wirsching Dritter Referent: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Baumgärtner Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 2. Februar 2017 Contents Abstract .................................................................................................... 4 Preface ...................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ............................................................................................. 8 Displaced Persons After 1945 ................................................... 10 Victims of War: Displaced Children ......................................... 18 Bad Aibling ................................................................................... 26 1 “The First Days Were Grim” Setting up the Children’s Village, 1948–1949 ............................... 33 Administrative Setup................................................................... 38 Moving into the Former Airbase .............................................. 44 The Children ................................................................................ 50 A Struggle for Staff and Supplies .............................................. 61 Unrest in the Village ................................................................... 68 2 “A Classic Experiment” The Program at its Height, 1949–1950 ......................................... 80 Excursus: Child Communities and Welfare Models in the Postwar Period ................................................................. 89 The Children’s Village: International Families?..................... 101 Medical and Psychological Support ........................................ 120 Education and Recreational Activities.................................... 130 Repatriation and Resettlement ................................................ 142 Public Relations ......................................................................... 168 3 “Get the Kids Out” Winding Down, 1950–1951 .......................................................... 175 HICOG Law No. 11 ................................................................. 182 The Children’s Village and the Germans ............................... 193 Leaving for Feldafing ................................................................ 203 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 207 List of Abbreviations .......................................................................... 213 List of Illustrations .............................................................................. 214 List of Source Material Cited ............................................................. 215 List of Studies Cited ............................................................................ 227 3 Abstract Based on a variety of source material and previous research, this mi- crohistorical study represents the first comprehensive history of the IRO Children’s Village Bad Aibling . Established in late 1948, it was the central facility within the US Zone of Germany where unaccompanied children were cared for by the International Refugee Organization (IRO). Displaced during or after World War II, their fates were as varied as those of adults who had survived the atrocities of the Nazi regime. In total, over 2,000 children (representing more than 20 nationalities) passed through the Children’s Village. The early days were marked by a prolonged struggle to get the in- stallation into running order, secure necessary supplies and hire quali- fied staff. Tensions which arose as a result of these problems culmi- nated in violent episodes of unrest among the children. The administrative setup in Bad Aibling was reorganized, and the situation gradual- ly improved. With the help of various voluntary agencies such as the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), an ambitious program was developed from 1949 onwards. It was inspired by contemporary trends in child welfare and aimed at developing an inclusive, international community consisting of family-like living groups. Through schooling and voca- tional training, recreational activities, psychological treatment and indi- vidual case work, the inhabitants were prepared for life after the Chil- dren’s Village. A decision regarding the future of each child had to be reached. In the majority of cases, the options were either repatriation or resettlement abroad. While the political friction of the Cold War had an undeniable effect on the IRO’s activities in Bad Aibling, it seems impossible to derive a universal set of beliefs guiding the work of relief workers from this fact. Despite occasional contact with the German population as well as international press coverage, the Chil- dren’s Village remained more or less isolated from the outside world. The last months of the Children’s Village saw new challenges as the IRO slowly began to wind down its operations in Europe. A change in US occupation policy saw the introduction of new courts which would decide the cases of the remaining children. In 1951, the Children’s Vil- lage shut its doors, and its inhabitants were moved to Feldafing. By early 1952, the cases of the remaining children had been closed. It is believed that the history of the Children’s Village, as part of a broader narrative of humanitarian efforts and child welfare in the postwar period, is relevant to the sphere of international relief work today. 4 Preface Deciding upon a PhD topic is a process influenced by many fac- tors, including personal interests, current trends in scholarly research, the feasibility of an idea, and sometimes, sheer chance. In 2011, when I was an undergraduate student of History and English at the University of Munich, I was given a copy of Gott- fried Mayr’s book Das Kriegsgefangenenlager Bad Aibling 1945–1946 . It documents the history of a prisoner-of-war enclosure which was set up by American troops during the final days of World War II. PWE No. 26 was located on the grounds of a German military airbase on the outskirts of Bad Aibling, a town in Upper Bavaria. Since I had grown up in the area, I flicked through the pages with great interest—not knowing that I was about to stumble upon a piece of information which would trigger my first original research as a budding historian. The book’s final chapter mentions that thousands of Displaced Persons (DPs) moved into the former airbase after the last German prisoners had been discharged in late 1946. The area was now home to one of the many DP camps operated by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) all across Europe. I had only given an in-class presenta- tion on DPs a few weeks previously, so was curious to find out more about the DPs who had once lived in Bad Aibling. A cursory investigation revealed that no one had so far carried out any significant research. I found this first disappointing, but then intriguing, and decided to embark upon my own quest for more information. Once I learnt that there had in fact been two DP camps in Bad Aibling, I went on to explore the history of the first in my Zulassungsarbeit (the equivalent of a Master’s thesis), submitted in 2013. When this camp closed in the fall of 1948, the barracks of the former airbase became home to a new institution, the IRO Children’s Village Bad Aibling . For my PhD dissertation, I had originally planned to write a combined history of both camps. However, the more I delved into the matter, the clearer it became that this was not the most desirable approach. The two camps, de- cidedly different from one another in terms of their respective pur- pose and setup, demand (and deserve) separate narratives. I therefore decided to dedicate my dissertation exclusively to the history of the Children’s Village. Writing a dissertation is a solitary activity. But without the support of many people, it would have been an impossible undertaking 5 Preface in the first place. I would therefore like to express my gratitude to everyone who, in one way or another, helped this study come to fruition. Any shortcomings are mine alone. At the University of Munich, I am above all indebted to my longstanding academic teacher and doctoral advisor, Professor Hans-Michael Körner, for his continual interest, valuable input and critical feedback throughout the process. A sincere thank you also goes to Professor Andreas Wirsching and Professor Ulrich Baum- gärtner who kindly agreed to serve as co-examiners. Historians depend on the skills and support of competent staff to guide them through the depths of historical archives and other institutions with relevant holdings. For providing information, valuable leads, or access to source material, I would like to express my gratitude to Amanda Leinberger and Remi Dubuisson (UN Ar- chives , New York), Amy Schmidt and Miriam Kleiman (National Archives and Records Administration, College Park), Andreas Nestl (Staatsarchiv , Munich), Angie Brown ( Conard House , San Francisco), Axel Braisz ( ITS Archives , Bad Arolsen), Dr Christoph Bachmann (Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv , Munich), Claude-Alain Danthe ( World YMCA , Geneva),

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