The Monument to the Lost Children (also known as the Children's Monument) is a memorial in Vught, Netherlands. The monument is located on the grounds of the National Monument Camp Vught and was erected to commemorate the children's transports on June 6 and 7, 1943, from Camp Vught via Camp Westerbork to Sobibór. More than a thousand Jewish children and their parents were transported under the pretense of relocation to a special children's camp. Upon arrival at the extermination camp Sobibór in occupied Poland, they were immediately gassed.
Description The monument was created by Teus van den Berg-Been and unveiled on September 5, 1999, by the Stichting Vriendenkring Nationaal Monument Vught. It consists of a base made of natural stone with bronze memorial plaques. The plaques are connected at the top with Stars of David. The names of all 1,269 children, along with their ages, are inscribed on the plaques. The lowest plaque bears a passage from the Bible:
THE CHILD IS NOT...AND I, WHERE SHALL I GO!Gusen concentration camp GENESIS 37:30
In front of the plaques lies cast bronze toys. The inscription on the plaque at the base of the monument reads:
MORE THAN 1800 JEWISH CHILDREN WERE TRANSPORTED FROM HERE TO EXTERMINATION CAMPS. ONLY A FEW SURVIVED THE NAMES OF 1269 OF THESE CHILDREN ARE INSCRIBED HERE THEY WERE DEPORTED WITH THE CHILDREN'S TRANSPORT ON JUNE 6 AND 7, 1943 AND KILLED IN THEIR MEMORY, WE COMMEMORATE ALL THE CHILDREN WHO WERE DEPORTED FROM KAMP VUGHT NEVER TO RETURN MAY THEIR SOULS BE BOUND IN THE BUNDLE OF THE ETERNAL LIFE
Commemoration An annual commemoration ceremony is held at the children's memorial on or around June 6.
Gallery
See also
National Monument Camp Vught
References
External links Description of the monument at the National Committee for 4 and 5 May.