On 28 March, Kunsthal Rotterdam opened the exhibition Lebensborn by photographer Angeniet Berkers. The exhibition showcases the powerful and deeply personal stories behind her book Lebensborn – Birth Politics in the Third Reich, which delves into one of the darkest and lesser-known chapters of the Second World War.
In 1935, Heinrich Himmler initiated the Lebensborn programme to create a new generation of leaders and ‘improve the racial quality’ of the Third Reich’s population. To address declining birth rates, families with children were provided financial incentives, and SS officers were encouraged to father as many children as possible, including outside of marriage. Lebensborn homes were set up across Europe, where women who met the regime’s ‘Aryan’ criteria could give birth. When the programme’s results were unsatisfactory, the regime began abducting blonde-haired, blue-eyed children from Eastern Europe to ‘Germanise’ them.
After the war, many of these children and their families faced societal stigma and abuse, burdened with the weight of hidden histories. The exhibition recounts these personal, often harrowing experiences through photography, archival material, and interviews, shedding light on the programme’s far-reaching impact on those directly involved.
Berkers’ book also includes a contribution from CBOW Project chairwoman Ingvill Constanze Ødegaard, whose essay “Endurance and Empowerment – Reflections on the Life Development of Children of Lebensborn” explores the long-term psychological and social effects experienced by those born as part of the programme.
We are proud to be a part of this important publication and delighted to see Berkers’ work receiving the attention it deserves.
The exhibition is open at Kunsthal Rotterdam until 13 July 2025. If you are in or near the city, we highly recommend a visit.
Find more information on the exhibition here.
