Children in the Lambach camp after its liberation – Austria, 1945

These children were found by soldiers of the 3rd Battalion of the US Army in the Lambach camp, Austria. According to testimonies, the conditions at this camp were even harsher than at Dachau and Buchenwald – between 200-300 prisoners died of starvation daily. After the war, hundreds of thousands of survivors, among them thousands of orphaned children, emerged from war-torn Europe, and attempted to rebuild their lives. The Allies set up displaced persons camps for them in Germany, Austria and Italy. Care of the children took various forms: the establishment of children’s homes, the setting up of an educational framework, and assistance in locating family members.