Figure 1.--This is a Christmahe scene from the Fonds Schiefbaan Hovius (FSH --Schiefbaan Hovius Fund) orphanage in thev 1930s. FSH was founded by our Hague pastors (1843). It was a Charity Fund for Roman Catholics seeking to 'provide for the needs of poor and neglected children who were not cared for by any poor fund’. The notary who helped them financially was C.J. Schiefbaan. His widow, Mrs. Schiefbaan-Hovius, donated money to create her own charity to care for thousands of orphans and half-orphans in whatbwould become the Groenestein Institute on the Loosduinseweg. Groenestein, together with the Don Bosco Youth Center, merged into the Catholic Children's Homes 's Gravenhage foundation (1967). The Charity Fund focused on 'nursing, raising and educating preferably Roman Catholic children whose education is not adequately provided for for one reason or another, all in the broadest sense’. The Charity Fund was dissolved and became FSH) which continues to carry out the mission ofv the originalm four pastors.

Orphans if they were lucky throughout history were cared for by family and friends. In Europe the Church provided some assistance, but institutional care was limited. Too often the a major factor is ignored when assessing societal care for orphans. Society has much more limited resources than modern society. Economies until the 19h century ware largely based on agriculture. And given productivity, societies generated much less wealth than modern society. As The Netherlands was little different, because the Dutch also had an important trading sector. This mean that per capita income was higher in the Netherlands than anywhere in Europe, probably the world. It should be stressed that not only was institutional support for indigents a far cry from he modern era, there was far more need for such care, especially for children. It was much more likely that children would become orphans. One source estimates that becoming an orphan was about as common as having divorced parents is today. 【Carlton, pp. 121–22.】 Here shorter life expectancies were a factor. There are records of Dutch orphanages dating back some five centuries (16th century). The Dutch Nationaal Archief holds a variety of sources which are of interest in genealogical research. They hold archives of Dutch orphanages dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Early efforts in what is now the Netherlands and Belgium were gardes d'orphènes/weeskamers. 【Godding】 The Church in Europe was major source of poor relief. Dutch orphanages were highly regarded and became symbols of civic pride (17th century). Some were located in the heart of cities and were important buildings, some with elaborate façades that demonstrated the importance of charity and community. A good example was the Almoner’s Orphanage in Gouda and the Holy Ghost Orphanage in Leiden. They were notable for their iconography, depictingh the city’s role as a benefactor and the communal commitment to charity. The Coen Cuserhof in Haarlem is another impressive orphanage. It was founded by Coen Cuser, a Haarlem knight (1334). It served as an orphanage through 1988. As Europe began emerging from the medieval era, prosperous towns began addressing poor relief. 【van Dijk】 Colonial powers like the Dutch might use their colonies to place orphaned children, usually boys. The Dutch had a large merchant fleet. Their might also be ship captains who took on orphans. Younger boys might serve as ships' boys. As with with many modern orphan care efforts, here were abuses such as issues with the Dutch East Indies Company. 【Hoitink】 The Dutch have a extensive, well documented historyof caring for orphans. It reveals a surpiing system not focused on caring for poor cvhildren, rather it consited og a system caring for orphans whose parents died leaving assetts. Poor orphans were given less attention. 【Schnitzeler】 Gradually the Dutch system developed into the more modern system of caring for all children in need. Orohanages are especially important during war and otherr crusis period. The Dutch were neurtal in World War I, butthere were food shortages. Dutch orphanages played an important crucial role in sheltering and protecting children, especially Jewish refugees fleeing NAZI persecution before World War II. One notable figure was Truus Wijsmuller-Meijer, a Dutch resistance fighter who helped save thousands of Jewish children through the Kindertransport. She organized the transport of children from NAZI Germany-e to safe countries, including the Netherlands and Great Britain. The Dutch tried to remain neutral in World War II, but the Germnans invaded and occupied the country (1940). In addition to individual efforts, various orphanages and organizations in the Netherlands provided refuge and care for displaced children. These institutions not only offered shelter but also aimed to restore a sense of normalcy and humanity to the children who were witnessed the horrors of war an NAZI occupation. War damage was largely localized duruing the German invasion. The Netherlands became a battlefield after D-Day (September-October 1944). Operation Market Garden suceeded in liberating lrge areas of thevcinty, butfailed to cross the Rhine. This left northern Netherlands still in Gernman hands. Finding food became very difficult.

Sources

Carlton, C. "The widow’s tale: Male myths and female reality in 16th and 17th Century England"> Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies Vol. 10, No. 2 (1978).

Godding, P. "L’ordonnance du Magistrat bruxellois du 19 juin 1445 sur la tutelle." In J. Gilissen & P. Goffin (eds.), Code etconstitution mélanges historiques Liber amicorum John Gilissen (pp. 149–174) (Kluwer: 1983).

Hempenius-van Dijk, B. S. De Weeskamer van de stad Groningen, 1613-1811. (Wolters-Noordhoff: 1991).

Hoitink, Yvette. "The sinister Amsterdam orphan trade," Dutch Geneology (September 4, 2015)..

Schnitzeler, J. W. "In Loco Parentis: Holland’s orphan chambers in a European context," The History of the Family Vol. 27, No. 2, (2021), pp. 243–67.

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