Training course: Uprooted - (Hi)Stories of Stolen Children during World War II

WHAT IS UPROOTED – (HI)STORIES OF STOLEN CHILDREN DURING WORLD WAR II

Since 2022, the Kreisau-Initiative e.V. has been coordinating the international project “Uprooted – (Hi)Stories of Stolen Children during World War II,” in cooperation with its partner organisations: Fundacja Krzyżowa dla Porozumienia Europejskiego (Poland), Tolerspace (Ukraine) and Post Bellum (Czech Republic).

In this training module we are cooperating with a new partner KONTAKTE-KOHTAKTbI e.V. (Germany), where we also would like to shed light on the fates of stolen children from Poland, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic – and now also include a special focus on the little-known stories of children from Belarus and Romania. These children’s lives were violently uprooted, their identities altered or erased, and many never returned to their families. Their stories have remained largely untold and underrepresented in public discourse and memory.

The project aims to deepen the understanding of National Socialist crimes through the lens of Human Rights Education. With English as the working language, the week-long seminar features testimonies, films, historical workshops, lectures, and discussions. By bringing together young adults from Germany, Poland, Czech Republic as well as Ukrainian and Belarusian in exile in the age of 18 - 29 years, the program encourages critical reflection on the legacy of Nazi ideology, the importance of remembering marginalized victims, and the continued relevance of children’s rights in today’s world.

This year’s program in Krzyżowa (Poland), taking place from November 30 to December 6, 2025, places particular emphasis on Belarusian and Romanian perspectives, featuring workshops and lectures led by historians and educators from KONTAKTE-KOHTAKTbI e.V. and other partner organizations.

More information about “Uprooted” are available on the website of the project: https://uprootedchildren.eu/en

WHAT YOU GAIN FROM THE TRAINING COURSE:

During this immersive training week, you:

• Deepen your understanding of the histories of children stolen during World War II – with particular focus on cases from Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Belarus.
• Participate in lectures and workshops led by experienced trainers from the “Uprooted” project as well as external historians and experts from across Europe.
• Explore educational materials and methods that will help you address these sensitive and often overlooked topics in your own teaching or workshop settings.
• Develop skills for responsibly and effectively facilitating discussions around difficult histories and human rights.
• Connect with fellow educators, youth workers, and historians from various countries to exchange best practices and foster future cooperation.

WHO CAN JOIN:

This training course is open to you if you:

• Are an experienced practitioner in the fields of education, youth work, citizenship education, or history – such as a teacher, trainer, museum educator, or NGO facilitator.
• Are a motivated newcomer who is curious about historical learning and nonformal education, even if you don’t yet have practical experience.
• Are at least 18 years old.
• Reside in one of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, North Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, or Ukraine.
• Are fluent in English, as it is the working language of the entire programme.
• Since we also focus on losses experienced by Belarusian communities, we also welcome Belarusian people in exile who currently live in one of the eligible countries.

LANGUAGE

The training course will be held in English.

COSTS

The participation fee is 80,00€. Full board and accommodation are included. The amount of the participation fee should not be a barrier to taking part. If you have any individual questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the organiser.

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD

We will take care of all the arrangements. Full board and accommodation are included. We will take care of all the arrangements. Full board and accommodation are included. Please notice that the participants will be accommodated in 3-bed and 4-bed rooms mostly. If you wish to be accommodated in a single room, please contact the organiser.

TRAVEL COSTS REIMBURSEMENT

We reimburse travel costs in accordance with the distance band of the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union. The distance band of maximum reimbursement per participant is based on this distance calculator:

• Between 10 and 99 km: 28 € rate of maximum reimbursement
• Between 100 and 499 km: 211 € rate of maximum reimbursement
• Between 500 and 1999 km: 309 € rate of maximum reimbursement
• Between 2000 and 2999 km: 395 € rate of maximum reimbursement

Reimbursements of travel costs will be issued in cash or per bank transfer (currency EUR) to you exclusively during the training course. We do not provide any type of pre-payments or post-payments for the reimbursement of travel costs.

TRAVELLING TO KRZYŻOWA, POLAND

We will help you to find the best itinerary. We strive to protect the environment and act sustainably. Therefore we encourage you to consider traveling to the event venue on land as much as possible. The 30th of November 2025 is the day of arrival, the 6th of December 2025 is the day of departure.

HOW TO APPLY?

Please fill in the application form by 31st August 2025.

The participants will be selected on the basis of motivation and the available number of places per country.

All admitted persons for participation in the training will be informed on 3rd September 2025. Persons who were not contacted on 11th September 2025 are on a waiting list and will be contacted subsequently if spots become available.

ORGANIZER

Kreisau-Initiative e.V. (Berlin, Germany)

CONTACT INFORMATION

René Wennmacher: wennmacher@kreisau.de