Butterkinder
The malnourished children in post-war Austria, who were first sent to rest in Austria, but months after the end of the war, were referred to as butter children . Among these countries were Switzerland or Spain . But also countries like Belgium , which had not been occupied long before, became the target of such child deportations , as they were carried out after the First World War . The stay lasted several months. The children were mostly between five and ten years old.
Around 80,000 children were placed with host parents. Due to the emotional ties that developed, children stayed with the host families and were adopted.
The actions were made possible by the then Federal Chancellor Leopold Figl's appeal to the UN . Children living in the urban area in particular showed severe deficiency symptoms. Even if there were vegetables from their own allotment gardens , the lack of fat led to many diseases. The infant mortality rate in the immediate postwar period up to 15 percent.