Kindertransport Essay

The disastrous World War II began on September 1st 1939. The devastating Holocaust was in full swing around this time and only got worse soon after. This mortifying pogrom assassinated an overwhelming amount of people, injured so many others, and continually haunts the lives of the survivors. As terrible an event that this was, thankfully some were saved. Many youth escaped the destructiveness of war through the great Kindertransport. The Kindertransport was the name given to the transporting of children from soon to be war infested locations to safe places where they would be taken care of. (Kindertransport, 1938-1940) It started in about 1938 when people began organizing escapes for the women and the elderly, but no one made any efforts

The Jewish families feared for their children’s lives. If they stayed they were in danger, and if they left they were also in potential danger. This goes for the non-Jewish families as well. The Nazis showed no mercy on anyone who wasn’t German. The thought of the Kindertransport also worried the parents of the youth as well. The adults weren’t allowed on the trains therefore, if anything went wrong on the ride there was nothing they could do. Even if the ride was successful, there was no guarantee of safety or happiness for the children in their new families, which obviously caused much stress and worry for the parents. Once in their new families, many of the children were very happy; though others were very homesick. (Wood) The last transport left from Germany left when World War II began on September 1, 1939. May 14, 1940, the day that the Dutch army surrendered to the German forces, is when the last Transport from the Netherlands left. Over all, the efforts of the Kindertransport rescued about 9,000 to 10,000 youth; about 7,500 of them Jewish children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland to Great Britain. (Kindertransport,

Nicholas Winton is the man who began the organization of the Kindertransport and is responsible for saving numerous lives. On board the trains, it was very cramped, there was limited space, and food and water were rationed as available. Children had to be less than 18 years old in order to ride, and parents or guardians were not permitted to ride. Over all, there was a very small amount of infants on board the trains. Those few involved were tended to by the older children onboard the trains. The first Transports left from Harwich, Great Britain on December 1, 1938 and from Vienna on December 10, 1938. The last Transports left from Germany on September 1, 1939, and from the Netherlands on May 14, 1940. For the parents, sending their children away devastated them, but they knew their children would be much better off and in a safer environment in the end. For the children, they were scared to leave their parents behind, but they knew they were going somewhere much better. After their rides were over, the children were delivered to their chosen families who promised to take care of them and provide for all of their needs. Over all, the Kindertransport provided hope and new life for the distressed youth of the war infested countries. The Germans showed no mercy but the Kindertransport