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A Hidden Child

After Nazi Germany invaded European countries, the persecution of Jews and other minorities started immediately. Jewish people often had their property seized, human rights removed and in many cases, could be routinely killed. All across Europe Jews were taken away for labour and in Eastern Europe, ghettos were established. As it was impossible to foresee how long the war might last, or what the Nazis might do next, some Jews tried to find ways to save themselves and their families from the horror.

In some cases, Jewish parents took the very difficult decision of trying to hide their children. The best way to do this was to ask non-Jews to look after them. This happened all across Europe, with many thousands of young Jewish children going into hiding. However, the majority did not survive – either because they were found and betrayed – or because they were handed over to the Nazi authorities. There were strict penalties for hiding Jews, especially in Eastern Europe, where non-Jews could be shot for helping. Also, many non-Jews asked for money to look after Jews in hiding and when the money ran out they were handed over to the Nazi authorities.

• A Hidden Child (pdf)