The kidnapping campaign of Nazi Germany | DW Documentary
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Published 2020-03-11
Tears still come to Jozef Sowa’s eyes when he talks about his life. His parents were murdered by Wehrmacht soldiers in Poland in 1943, and he and his four siblings were taken to Germany. Four of them managed to return to Poland. But his younger sister Janina was given up for adoption - as a supposedly German child. She still lives in Germany today. This kidnapping was planned. In 1941, Himmler, who headed the Nazi SS, gave the order to "gather young children who are especially racially suitable from Polish families and for us to raise them in special modestly-sized kindergartens and children’s homes."
Professor Isabel Heinemann explains, "By so doing, he aimed to build up the German race." For years, the historian has been researching the fates of the estimated 50 thousand children in Europe who were snatched. The largest group comes from Poland. Without their biological parents to protect them, the children were given to German families by the "SS Race and Resettlement Main Office." Their names and dates of birth were changed to obscure their true identity.
After the war ended, those whose origins could be traced returned to their homelands. But their native countries had often become foreign to them and being singled out as a German "Hitler child" made reintegration difficult. Those responsible for the kidnapping were never brought to justice.
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All Comments (21)
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History is filled with untold stories. Thanks for shining a light on this story.
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My father was one of those kids. He told me how he was taken from his family when he was 9 years old. He had no idea where he was taken. I can't imagine what he went through. My dad is gone but I remember every story he told about his life in time of war. I love you and miss you dad so much. ❤
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What a horrible ordeal for the man at the beginning of the documentary. To see his parents being slaughtered like that. Horrible traumatic experience. Very very sad.
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My father was loaded into a truck bound for a concentration camp. The driver suddenly refused to drive & he told all of the children to jump off the truck & run home. As children growing up , we heard all the horrific stories of war in Poland. From being shot at by Nazis to having to watch a 4th grade student being beaten to death by a German teacher. My Mom has stories that are just as horrible. History always repeats itself, this is no exception. We will destroy ourselves. I can understand everything he said in Polish. A little gets lost in translation. The poor man. These are similar memories that my parents hold & now I do too.
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I can’t help but cry when the man at the beginning told his story. Watching that would destroy a child. His parents were so brave and should be honored as heroes. She was 6 or 7 months pregnant being stabbed over and over with a pitchfork, in front of her small children. And yet she still refused to give up the location of the people hiding. How horrible it must have been to see them still be killed in front of her once the nazi soldiers found them. And his father watching all of this as well as his head is bashed in??? And also not give up the hiding location ?!? Amazing heroes. They deserve utmost respect.
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So sad. It breaks me seeing him crying when he talked about his mother getting stabbed with a pitchfork.
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My dad was also one of these stolen children. This crime was so wrong on so many levels. Rest in Peace dad. Love from Australia.
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This is why history is important. I don't know why US children are being 'sheltered' from these truths. These things need to be remembered. Edit: Started new world war in the comments section. 😂
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My grandma was 12 when they took her from family home in Poland. She saw her family beaten to death and separated. She was enslaved and forced to work in German Guesthouse, for German family. She was not paid for her hard daily work, she however received food and shelter. She considered herself lucky. Lucky... and given all the stories we learned in polish school, many witnesses heard over years, I can also consider her lucky... in all that tragedies. After the war she was kicked into the train and came back to Poland alone...
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I hate to say it, but they should all have their DNA tested and then whatever family is left they can be placed in touch with them. It's heartbreaking to think after all these years people are still looking for family members.
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Hearing that part of the boys mother being stabbed in the stomach 3 whole times with a pitchfork while she was 6-7 months pregnant made me so sad 😞
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i just can't imagine how much pain and grief in Josef's heart. if he's still alive today, he's probably on his 90s yet still crying and missing the warmth of his mother and father's care like how it shows in this video. the atrocity far beyond evil. heart wrenching to hear such horrific testimony. may the souls of these innocent victims now rest in peace, blessed the hearts of those who are left in mourn and grief.
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There’s a special place in hell for people who commit atrocious crimes toward innocent people, including children.
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I had to pause for a moment when he said his mother was stabbed. Poor kids witnessing that, so terribly sad. This whole story is heartbreaking.
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I feel bad for that man, his sister that beyond brainwashed and in willing naiveness and denial about being really Polish and not at all in blood or born German, to the point where she refuses to acknowledge their real Polish parents/family is truly heartbreaking.
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I can’t imagine being stolen from my parents and given a new identity to grow up as an adult not knowing my parents, family or even my real birthday. The Nazis did all they could to ERASE an entire generation. I just want to embrace the victims and hold them. I cry for them :(
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Our history teacher's grandma was in a concentration camp. He shared her stories with his class. He told of how Jewish babies were just thrown aside and left to die. These stories are heartbreaking. Humans can be so hatefilled and evil.
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Makes me realize the childhood I had wasn’t so traumatic. This is a terrorizing childhood one could not imagine.
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Couldn't hold my tears hearing the story of the man at the beginning. Those kids would carry the trauma they experienced throughout the rest of their life. This generation should be made aware of all this to prevent something like this from happening again.
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I just clicked this just so I can play something. I ended up watching the entire documentary attentively. It was overwhelming to watch. Thank you for this documentary.
