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Up to the beginning of WWII there were several relief programs and actions to rescue Jewish children by sending them abroad - e.g. Refugee Children’s Movement -. Great Britain played a special role in that movement, admitting approximately 10000 children. The Netherlands also reacted promptly to the November pogrom in Germany, and in spite of economic difficulties they were willing to take in about 2000 children. The children were admitted to homes and training camps but also taken in by families. Dutchwomen - as a rule not Jewish - would pick up the children at Cologne, where there was a meeting point, and then took them to Amsterdam or Rotterdam. The ”Kindertransporte” -children’s transports- for the south western region of Germany would be assembled at Frankfurt a.M. The management was in the hands of the Frankfurt Jewish welfare agency, the employees of which would most likely accompany the children all the way to Cologne.

It was everything but easy to find enough places of accommodation abroad for those many registered children, and quite often parents’ patience was tested and dates for departure postponed. Plus, the Nazis had decreed many restrictive orders, which only added to the sadness of parting.

”The farewell scenes were heart-wrenching! However, on orders of the Nazis those parting moments were not supposed to take place at the station platform, thus a public stir could be avoided. All of a sudden parents and children became aware of the fact that they had to part, and nobody knew how long the separation would last until they would meet again, if at all.”