Documentary photographer Angeniet Berkers spent five years investigating the Nazi Lebensborn program, which aimed to increase the number of "Aryan" babies. She compiled her findings in the book Lebensborn. Birth Politics of the Third Reich. On the occasion of the commemoration of 80 years of freedom in the Netherlands, Kunsthal Rotterdam presents her work in the exhibition until July 13 Lebensborn.
Research project
Since 2020, Berkers has been researching the Lebensborn program. The original plan of founder Heinrich Himmler was to encourage SS officers to reproduce as much as possible. In special clinics, women could give birth to their children if they met the requirements of the Aryan race. When it turned out that this program did not produce enough new Aryan souls, thousands of children with blond hair and blue eyes were kidnapped from Eastern Europe and taken to German homes to be 'Germanized'. After the war, these children were often stigmatized and sometimes even abused or sexually abused. Many grew up with secrets; after all, the past was not supposed to be talked about. Berkers tracks down these children to interview and portray them. For Berkers, this project was not only a search for the roots of 'Himmler's children', she also wanted to investigate how she can put together these different stories and layers into a nuanced whole.
Experiences of nine children
The exhibition tells the impressive story of this extraordinary history using photography, archive material and interviews, with an emphasis on the most important events and the personal consequences for those involved. Berkers documented the experiences of nine children who are now in their eighties. The Kunsthal is highlighting the stories of three of them – Gisela, Michael and Ingrid.
Practical information
Date: March 28 to July 13, 2025
Time: 10.00am-17.00pm (Tuesday to Sunday)
Location: Kunsthal Rotterdam
Lebensborn is partly made possible by contributions from the O&O and Practical Contribution schemes. Read here more about the subsidies of CBK Rotterdam.
Image: A teddy bear from a Lebensborn home, Washington DC, USA, July 2023 © Angeniet Berkers
