The Stolen Children of Poland

The Nazi Child Abductions in Poland exposes one of World War II’s most overlooked atrocities—the systematic kidnapping and “Germanization” of tens of thousands of Polish children—through the words of survivors who have spent a lifetime searching for their stolen identities.

NEW AND EXPANDED EDITION — REVISED AND UPDATED, WITH MATERIAL NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED

The Nazi Child Abductions in Poland

The relationship between Germany and Poland remains profoundly shaped by the crimes committed by Nazi Germany during World War II. Among the least acknowledged of these atrocities is the systematic abduction of tens of thousands of Polish children. Selected according to racial criteria, they were torn from their families and forcibly “Germanized,” their identities erased. To this day, many people in both countries remain unaware of this dark chapter of history.

Few areas of German-Polish historical research are marked by as many unanswered questions as the fate of these children. Even now, countless survivors live without knowing their true origins or the circumstances of their abduction.

This new and updated edition presents an expanded and revised collection of harrowing testimonies, including newly uncovered material not available in any previous version. For the first time, these personal accounts are brought together to form an unprecedented record of lived experience.

The volume builds on the multimedia project Stolen Children, initiated by the Polish editorial team of Deutsche Welle in collaboration with the Polish news portal Interia, offering renewed insight into a tragedy that has too long remained in the shadows.