Çocukları Kurtarma Yurdu

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Çocukları Kurtarma Yurdu (“Children's Rescue Home ”) was an anti-authoritarian children's home in Istanbul in the 1930s . The facility was founded by the educator and teacher at Robert Koleji Kâzım Zafir in 1933. The opening took place on the recommendation of the neurologist Fahrettin Kerim Gökay , approval was given by the Istanbul Vali Muhittin Üstündağ . Most of the children were victims of population exchange . At the end of Zafir's activities in 1938, 250 children had passed through the home. At the opening, seven children found a home.

Location, staff and budget

On July 15, 1933, the daily Akşam reported on the structural preparations. She also wrote that director Zafer Bey was working on an "order to raise mentally and morally abnormal children". The home was in Galata across from the Church of St. Pierre . Today the building houses the Okçu Musa İlkokulu Primary School . 21 people worked in the home. The educators had to submit to a strict regime. The rules stipulated 9-hour shifts in which they were not allowed to take their eyes off the children. In the event of violations, there was a warning. Three warnings meant the termination. The facility's annual budget was 30,000 lira .

concept

Kâzım Zafir's aim was not just to protect the children. He wanted to save her. The children were examined for tuberculosis, gonorrhea, syphilis, grind , scabies and lice before admission . They were washed, clothed and photographed. The pictures still exist and were published by Ümit Bayazoğlu, for example. After an acclimatization phase, the children were prepared for a job. Various workshops were set up for this purpose. There was a choice of shoemakers, joiners and tailors. The workshops were run by master craftsmen. The workshop rent was waived for them. In return, they had to take on children as apprentices. The children received half of the apprentice's salary that they had to hand over to the home management. They kept a weekly pocket money. In the garden of the facility there was the possibility to play tennis, basketball or volleyball. On weekends there was a tent camp on the island of Heybeliada with morning exercise and afternoon rest. A tent camp was held in the Belgrade Forest in the summer .

There were no corporal punishments in the home. No penalties were imposed at all. However, there was a rule that offenses such as theft or smoking hashish had to be admitted. The confessions were put on file and checked. If necessary, Zafir paid the damage out of pocket. The children had to wash twice a day. There was no guard or given times to come home. The dinner table was covered with a white tablecloth, as was only the case with the wealthy at the time. This aroused the resentment of the Belediye , who believed that a wax ceiling was always enough. The Belediye tried to enforce that the children were no longer allowed to leave the home after 6 p.m. and that they would be put on the street when they were 17. However, Kâzım Zafir successfully fought against it.

The End

There were numerous complaints about the children in the immediate vicinity of the home. In 1938, the Istanbul city ​​council , which owned the building, ordered the home to move outside of the city. The "anti-social children" set a bad example for the children of the local residents. Kâzım Zafir protested. He wrote that the inner-city living environment was part of the educational concept. However, when he could not make himself heard, Zafir resigned. The home was placed under the central Darülaceze home administration. At that time, 80 children were living in the home. The facility first moved to Kâğıthane , then to Beykoz . Later the track is lost.

Balance sheet

Of the total of 250 children who received accommodation in the home, twelve subsequently led a regular life. Ten children were released with no hope that they would “become something”. Three children were sent to a psychiatric home and 25 children found families.

Trivia

  • The very first child was a boy who threatened Zafir with a knife in order to rob him. Zafir gave him the money on condition that he report to the home tomorrow and accept him in the role of father.
  • When Reşad Ekrem Koçu visited the home to congratulate Zafir on his work, the children in the garden greeted him with the following nonsense rhyme: Bombaladaki bombaladaki bom bom bom / Zombaladaki zombaladaki zom zom zom.
  • The newspaper Hürriyet launched a call in 2008 to track down former home children of Zafir. This was intended to support a Filiz Terzis film project about the home.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Kazım Zafir'in çocukları aranıyor (Hürriyet of September 12, 2008, Turkish)
  2. ↑ Ümit Bayazoğlu: Uzun, İnce Yolcular. 42 portre. Istanbul 2014, pp. 32–35.
  3. ↑ Ümit Bayazoğlu: Uzun, İnce Yolcular. 42 portre. Istanbul 2014, p. 37.

literature

  • Ümit Bayazoğlu: Uzun, İnce Yolcular. 42 portre. Istanbul 2014

Web link