Figure 1.--

The first facilities for the care of indigent children that we know of were foundling homes established by the Roman Catholic Church during the Middle Ages as a deterent to infanticide by destitute parents. Modern orphanges first appeared in the late 18th century century, although they were more widespread in the 19th century. HBC notes references to English and American orphanages at this time, but is less familiar with the situation in other countries. Orphanages became a favorite subject of philanthropy as a result of the growing concern at the illtreratment of children exposed by writers like Charkles Dickens in books like Oliver Twist. Orphanages continued to be the principal societal approach to the care of undigent chikdren through the mid-20th century. Substantial numbers of children were raised at state homes in America and orphanages throughout Europe. Modern approaches have involved placing children as foster children. Orphanages still exist, but the number of children involved are much reduced.

Classical Era

We have no information about orphanages in ancient socities. We suspect for the most part orphaned children were taken in by family members. We do not know what happened to children that were orphaned without an extended family to care for them. In a society like Rome, social status was determined by an induividual's family. Thus a child left without any family would have faced a very bleak existence and future.

Middle Ages

Institutions for poor relief appeared in the late middle ages. These institutions included foundling homes, colleges, and hospitals. The best known facility for the care of indigent children that we know of were foundling homes. They were not specufically for orphans. In fact parents often left children they could not care for at these homes. They were established by the Roman Catholic Church during the late Middle Ages as a deterent to infanticide by destitute parents. Foundling homes were widespread in Southern Europe by the late medieval era. Foundling homes were not orphanages in the modern sence. They were founded to care for infants, to ensure their proper baptism and nursing care. The children were placed with adoptive families as quivckly as they could be found. The responsibility for their care then became the responsibility of the adoptive family. Here a great deal depended on the adoptive parents. In some cases the children might come to be treated as actual natural born children. In many families they had as they grew up more the status of indentured servants. Another medieval institution was the college or orphanage to aid poor children. These were foundations that helped to provide basic school or training for poor children. They were not orphanages in the modern sence. Some provided or arranged housing and board for the children, but the emphasis at first was on schooling and often thev children had to support themselves, usually through begging. They were not specifically for orphans, but poor children in general. Also they were only for boys. At this times only boys were normally schooled and it was easier to place girls in homes as servants. Institutions like the Spanish Collegios de los Ninos de la Doctrina are examples of these institutions. Period documents note such institutions in several countries (including England, Germany, and Spain). The medieval hospitals some times took in orphans or other indigent children. This was the origins of the English hospital schools. Almhouses also began to appear in the late middle ages and cared for children. These were not especially orphans as often whole families accepted.

16th Century

the first true orphanages that we know of were founded in the 16th century. A few may have been founded earlier but documentation is incomplete. With few exceptions the first orphanagges appear in the 16th century. Europeans in the 16th century addressed increasing attention to the problem of poor relief. Here the Reformation and disorders of the wars associated with the Reformation may have been factors as the devestation of war undoubtedly inpoverished many. Another factor may have been the influence of Renaissance humanism which stressed the vale of invidual humans. Until the 16th century, poor relief was largely a fubction of the Church. It is in the 16th century that secular bodies begin to play a more important role. Communities all over Western Europe were addressing the issue of povery and poor relief with widely different outlooks and approches. [Geremek, pp. 120-177.] Part of the discussion of poor relief was how to deal with poor and orphaned children. Cities in what is now Belgium founded some of the first schools for poor children. [Decavele, pp. 137-139.] The Paris Parlement founded the Hôpital de la Trinité to educate indigent children (1545). [Heller, pp. 39-41.] A small number of orphanages in the modern sence of offering complete care and education of children unable to support themselves were also founded. Records are incomplete, but there are records substantiating that orphanages were founded in several countries (England, France, Germany, and Italy). In England the royal orphanage was founded, but we do not know of any others. In France there were several orphanages. The royal orphange was founded in Paris (1536). Sponsors in Lyon founded separate orphanages for boys and gurls (1534). [Zemon Davis, pp. 17-64, 42-43.] There were several orphanages in Germany, some appear to have been founded even before the 16th century. In Germany the first orphanages appear to have been founded in Munich and Strassbourg even before the 16th century. Other cities (Frankfurt, Hamburg, Lübeck, Münster, Speyer, and Würzburg) founded orphanages in the 16th century. [Meumann. 259] In Italy orphanages were founded in Venice and other cities near Venice. [Pullan, pp. 259-61.] While orphanages were founded in the 16th century, the more common approach of municipal authorities was to find foster families for orphan children.

17th Century

More orphanages were founded in the 17th century. Municipal authorities in Cologne converted the medieval foundling home into an orphanage (1605). This probably occurred uin other locations as well.

18th Century

Modern orphanges first appeared in the late 18th century century. Here the Industrial Revolution creating an urban proleterit also resulted in increasing numbers of orphaned and abandoned children. We note military schools being founded in Britain for the orphans and desttitute children of servicemen in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Here the increasing size of armies was an important factor.

19th Century

Orphanages became more widespread in the 19th century. HBC notes references to English and American orphanages at this time, but is less familiar with the situation in other countries. Orphanages became a favorite subject of philanthropy as a result of the growing concern at the illtreratment of children exposed by writers like Charkles Dickens in books like Oliver Twist.

20th Century

Orphanages continued to be the principal societal approach to the care of undigent chikdren through the mid-20th century. Substantial numbers of children were raised at state homes in America and orphanages throughout Europe. Modern approaches have involved placing children as foster children. Orphanages still exist, but the number of children involved are much reduced.

Sources

Decavele, Johan. De dageraad van de Reformatie in Vlaanderen, 1520-1565 (Brussel 1975).

Geremek, Bronislaw. Poverty, A History (Oxford, 1994).

Heller, H. Labour, Science and Technology in France 1500-1620 (Cambridge, 1996).

Meumann, Markus. Findelkinder, Waisenhauser, Kindsmord. Unversorgte Kinder in der frühneuzeitlichen Gesellschaft (Oldenburg 1995).

Pullan, Brian. Rich and Poor in Renaissance Venice. The Social Institutions of a Catholic State, to 1620 (Oxford 1971).

Zemon Davis, Natalie. "Poor Relief, Humanism and Heresy. The Case of Lyon," in Society and Culture in Sixteenth-Century France ed. Natalie Zemon Davis (London, 1975).

Created: 9:38 PM 7/10/2004
Last updated: 9:38 PM 7/10/2004