Histria Books is proud to announce the publication of The Stolen Children of Poland by Agnieszka Was-Turecka, Ewelina Karpińska-Morek, Monika Sieradzka, Artur Wróblewski, Tomasz Majta, and Michał Drzonek. This powerful new title, a co-publication with the German news agency Deutsche Welle, is released under Histria Perspectives, an imprint dedicated to publishing outstanding works of nonfiction that illuminate history, culture, and society.
The legacy of World War II continues to define relations between Germany and Poland, but one of the war’s most shocking crimes remains little known: the Nazi abduction of tens of thousands of Polish children. Selected according to racist “Aryan” criteria, these children were torn from their families, stripped of their identities, and subjected to forced “Germanization.” Many never returned home, and even today, survivors live with unanswered questions about who they truly are.
The Stolen Children of Poland sheds light on this hidden history with an unprecedented collection of survivor testimonies. Through first-hand accounts, readers hear directly from those who endured the trauma of being stolen, displaced, and raised under false identities. These stories, told with raw honesty and profound humanity, fill crucial gaps in both German and Polish historical research and ensure that this crime against children is not forgotten.
The book grew out of a groundbreaking multimedia project, Stolen Children, created by the Polish editorial team of Deutsche Welle. Together, the authors have produced a deeply researched, emotionally powerful work that gives voice to those silenced for decades.
Bringing this story to light is not only an act of historical scholarship but also an act of remembrance and justice. The Stolen Children of Poland compels readers to confront the devastating human cost of Nazi ideology and the long shadow it continues to cast on survivors and their families. This landmark volume is a vital addition to the literature of World War II, Holocaust studies, and human rights.
