The loss of a child - whether through death or forced disappearance - is one of the worst experiences for parents and families. Time and again, governments, their authorities and terrorist groups use this primal fear to exert pressure on families and communities for various reasons. In most cases, the threat of taking the children away or doing something terrible to them is enough to make the parents compliant. This is why the right to know one's origins was included in the UN Convention on Human Rights.
The protection of the family from violent separation is now enshrined in law in many countries. Only
recently have countries such as Canada and Australia recognized politically motivated child abduction as a human rights violation and initiated compensation programmes.
To this day, social awareness of and knowledge about these crimes remains low. The suffering and trauma are suppressed. The victims are often blamed for the disappearance of the children.
The exhibition shows how people, families and communities were destroyed by politically motivated child abduction. Biographies of those affected from Argentina, Germany, Canada, the Soviet Union and Spain are presented in their respective historical contexts. They convey the devastating consequences for the victims.
The exhibition runs until 30.12.2026. Access to the exhibition is free of charge and subject to the library's opening hours:
Tues. and Thurs. 13.30 - 18.00, Wed. and Fri. 9.00 - 14.00, every 1st Sat./month 10.00 - 14.00
