Placed in out-of-home care, put to work, placed in guardianship, housed in institutions: by around the 1970s, several hundred thousand children, adolescents and adults in Switzerland had been subjected to compulsory welfare measures and fostering. In the Canton of Bern they numbered at least fifty thousand. Many came from difficult social or economic backgrounds. If a family did not conform to middle-class norms, the authorities reacted with repressive measures that violated personal rights.
For some years now, the people who suffered have been becoming increasingly vocal. They report what they have undergone and demand that the long-term impact be accounted for and mitigated. The fact that they were wronged is now officially recognised. In 2011, the Canton Government of Bern issued an apology.
The exhibition focuses on five victims born between 1894 and 1963 and invites visitors to immerse themselves in their stories. Finally, the question arises: how does what happened affect us today?
For some years now, the people who suffered have been becoming increasingly vocal. They report what they have undergone and demand that the long-term impact be accounted for and mitigated. The fact that they were wronged is now officially recognised. In 2011, the Canton Government of Bern issued an apology.
The exhibition focuses on five victims born between 1894 and 1963 and invites visitors to immerse themselves in their stories. Finally, the question arises: how does what happened affect us today?
