The Little Children

Alone among the countries of Europe, Norway has dared to look frankly into the eyes of its "war babies." Nine thousand offspring of Norwegian mothers and German fathers born during the German occupation will bear no stigma when they grow up. The children's origin will be purposely obscured in order to protect them against Norwegian resentment toward their parents.

The Government has proposed a special "war-baby law" changing the babies' names and providing for their adoption by Norwegian families; where necessary, costs will be paid by the state and added to reparations claims against Germany.

The mothers who want to go to Germany in the hope of marrying the fathers will be allowed to take their children with them. Only about 5% are expected to choose this course.

Other occupied countries of Europe have turned their backs on this problem. France merely conferred citizenship on illegitimate children of French women and "unknown" fathers. In Washington a diplomat from a country occupied for years by the Nazis took this line: "I heard in my country of only one case. A girl had from a German soldier a baby against her will. As soon as the baby was born, she killed it." Norway, which three decades ago took the lead in abolishing the stigma of illegitimacy, has decided that facts should not only be faced, but lived with.

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