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War Children, Evacuations, and State Politics in Europe During WWII: A Local Case of Sick Finnish War Children in Sweden

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Conflict, Violence and Peace

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 11))

Abstract

In Europe during World War II, evacuations of children without parents from war zones and war-affected areas were common. Evacuations required administration and extensive logistics, and financial resources had to be obtained. Governments and government agencies were involved but their political aims and motivations differed. The following chapter examines the evacuation of Finnish war children to Sweden during World War II. It focuses on the sick Finnish war children whose evacuation and medical care in Sweden became a concern of the Swedish state. Based on an analysis of medical records, the construction of children and the state’s role in the evacuations is discussed. A historical perspective on evacuations of war children during WWII offers an opportunity to reflect on the current situation of unaccompanied refugee children and their arrival to European countries today.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thematic Studies – Child Studies, Linköping University, 581 83, Linköping, Sweden

    Karin Zetterqvist Nelson

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  1. Karin Zetterqvist Nelson
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Correspondence to Karin Zetterqvist Nelson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom

    Christopher Harker

  2. Department of Geography, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom

    Kathrin Hörschelmann

  3. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Tracey Skelton

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Zetterqvist Nelson, K. (2015). War Children, Evacuations, and State Politics in Europe During WWII: A Local Case of Sick Finnish War Children in Sweden. In: Harker, C., Hörschelmann, K., Skelton, T. (eds) Conflict, Violence and Peace. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 11. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-98-9_19-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-98-9_19-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-4585-98-9

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