still there! An exhibition about children from forbidden relationships

02.09.2026
09:00 - 16:00

Gedenkstätte Breitenau

still there!
An exhibition about children from forbidden relationships

The Breitenau memorial and the Adlerwerke historical site have jointly organized the exhibition “still there! Children from forbidden relationships between Germans, prisoners of war and forced laborers were brought to Hesse. The exhibition will take place in northern Hesse on 20. Opened August.

During the Nazi era there were friendly and intimate contacts between Germans and prisoners of war or forced laborers:undesirable inside. Some of them were strictly forbidden. But they are “still there”: children, that emerged from such relationships. Their stories have long been taboo.

The Sandbostel camp memorial in Lower Saxony has 2023 the research- and exhibition project “still there” started, to make these children and their stories and memories visible. As part of the project, more than... 20 be won over by them for the project. These people have memories with them, laid the crucial foundation for the traveling exhibition with documents and photos. She is from 19. August to 27. September at the Breitenau Memorial in Guxhagen.

Dr. Ann Katrin Düben, The head of the memorial explains the exhibition's connection to Breitenau: “The proportion of women, who were imprisoned in the so-called Breitenau labor education camp because of forbidden contact, was included 33 percent. This reason for imprisonment even accounted for almost half of German women. The one, who had a child with a forced laborer, still stuck 1945 a stigma, “Especially in rural areas, women and their children were exposed to discrimination and racism.”

The project cooperation:

The Gedenkstätte Breitenau in Guxhagen near Kassel is reminiscent of the eventful history of a historic place, which was initially used as an early concentration camp during the Nazi era (1933–1934) and later as a so-called labor education camp (1940–1945) was used.

The Adlerwerke historical site: Fabric, Forced labor, Concentration camp is a memorial- and educational institution in Frankfurt am Main. It deals with the topics of forced labor and the “Katzbach” concentration subcamp., that me 1944-45 was located on the Adlerwerke factory premises, edited.

The cooperation project between the Adlerwerke historical site and the Breitenau memorial is an example of the long-standing cooperation and collaboration among Hessian memorial sites and remembrance initiatives. As part of the project, the employees of both memorials also received further training in a joint workshop.

The program:

Thursday, 20.08.2026, 17.00 Clock

Exhibition opening and lecture with Dr. Katherine Ransom (Wiesbaden City Archives). Visit to the exhibition 16.00 pm.

Registration desired at