Verdingkinder
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Verdingkinder, "contract children",
History
The practice of Verdingkinder began in the Late Middle Ages, and evolved out of the practice of
Investigations by historian Marco Leuenberger brought to light that in 1930 there were some 35,000 Verdingkinder; though he suspects the real figure was twice that much, and between 1920 and 1970 more than 100,000 are believed to have been placed with families or homes. In the 1930s, 20% of all agricultural labourers in the Canton of Bern were children below the age of 15, though not all of these would have been Verdingkinder.[5]
The placement of children as labourers in farming families died out in the 1960s and 70s as social work was further professionalised, inspection of foster families became more frequent, and greater emphasis was placed on keeping children with their original parents if possible.[6]
The petition
An official apology was made on April 11, 2013, by the Swiss government.[2]
In culture
In 2008, Roland Begert,[8] a Verdingkinder himself, published his autobiographical novel Lange Jahre fremd,[9] causing a stir in Switzerland, where authorities and the general public had previously shut their eyes. Begert's story told how disadvantaged youngsters were forcefully apprenticed and put to work in industry after the war, when there was a shortage of labour. In 2012 an exhibition called "Verdingkinder Reden" ('Contract Children Speak') toured Switzerland, drawing attention to the fate of these children. In the same year, Der Verdingbub ('The Foster Boy'),[10] a feature film, was released, reaching number one at the Swiss box office.[2]
See also
- Kinder der Landstrasse
- Wiedergutmachungsinitiative
References
- ^ a b Swiss grapple with history of forced child labor, Associated Press, retrieved 24/11/2011
- ^ a b c Swiss 'contract children' speak out, BBC, retrieved 19/1/2012; and Gianna Virginia Weber: "Das ’Verdingkind‘: Eine terminologische Annäherung" ["The ‘Indentured Child Laborer‘: A Terminological Approach"], in: Markus Furrer, Kevin Heiniger, Thomas Huonker, Sabine Jenzer, Anne-Françoise Praz (eds.): Fürsorge und Zwang: Fremdplatzierungen in der Schweiz 1850-1980 (in German), Basel 2014 (Itinera 36), p. 249-258.
- ^ Marco Leuenberger & Loretta Seglias (eds.): "Versorgt und vergessen. Ehemalige Verdingkinder erzählen (in German), Rotpunktverlag, Zurich; and Lotty Wohlwend & Arthur Honegger: "Gestohlene Seelen: Verdingkinder in der Schweiz (in German), Huber, Bern.
- ^ "Verdingung". Historische Lexikon der Schweiz. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ Schmider, Franz (April 8, 2013). "Verdingkinder in der Schweiz: Um die Kindheit betrogen" (in German). Badische Zeitung. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ Studer, Tobias (April 2012). "«Die Behörde beschliesst» - zum Wohl des Kindes?: Fremdplatzierte Kinder im Kanton Bern 1912-1978 review". H-Net Reviews.
- ^ Puri, Kavita (2014-10-29). "Switzerland's shame: The children used as cheap farm labour". BBC News. Retrieved 2014-10-29.
- ^ de:Roland M. Begert
- ^ edition liebefeld - Home
- ^ "Der Verdingbub". SWISS FILMS. Retrieved 2014-10-29.