Kindertransport
Dr Andrea Hammel

My research focuses on the 10.000 unaccompanied child refugees who fled from Central Europe to the UK on the so-called Kindertransport. Their families were persecuted by the National Socialist dictatorship whose race laws defined them as Jewish.

As most countries, including the UK, had very restrictive immigration policies, many families decided to take the opportunity for their children to flee without them when the UK government relaxed its compulsory visa policy for children in November 1938.

Studying the history of refugees to the UK enables us to learn important lessons for today’s young refugees. The former Kindertransportees suffered separation, trauma, and difficulties adapting to a new language and culture. While some migrated further, many lived in the UK for the rest of their lives. This gives us the opportunity to examine their experiences in longitudinal studies, informing diverse fields ranging from Holocaust education to migration policy.