Baby Cages

In 1945, Hitler continued to deny the apparent defeat that awaited him. In a final insane attempt to turn the tide of the war and make up for the lack of soldiers old enough to go into battle, he recruited massively from among the Hitler Youth, enlisting children as young as 12 years old. These little soldiers were sent to fight battles that they had no hope of winning. Nonetheless, as a rule, they fought zealously. As the Allied troops advanced, they were shocked to discover that there were also children among the countless German prisoners. 

Around 10 000 of these young fighters, who were both persecutors and victims, would be taken prisoner by the American Army and sent to Attichy POW camp in France. The Nazi Regime had trained these children. Yet, astonishingly, the Americans immediately considered and treated them as victims. An original and little-known re-education program started at Attichy Camp to steer them towards an attitude of tolerance and democracy. It was called "Baby Cages". Winfried Börsch was held there. At the time, he was 16 years old.

Today, he'll tell us how he ran away and got arrested before being sent to the "Baby Cages". His experience reflects the fate of thousands of other child soldiers. His testimony along with numerous archive images will take us deep into the heart of Nazi indoctrination and the ensuing liberation of the minds of these young children, who had been forced into being a part of a devastating system.