Kinder der Landstrasse

In 1926, Pro Juventute, with the support of federal authorities and official institutions, initiated a systematic process of separating Yenish children from their families and relocating them to foster homes, psychiatric hospitals, and even prisons. This practice, referred to as "re-education", aimed to establish a sedentary lifestyle among Yenish families, particularly the younger generation. These activities continued for 47 years until they were brought to an end in 1973, largely due to media support and public outcry. The Swiss Civil Code of 1912 served as the legal basis for the forced separation of families and children. It allowed officials to remove custody from parents in cases of neglect or abuse. However, the provision for oversight of authorities' actions was rarely enforced. The mere fact that the children belonged to a traveling (Yenish) family was considered sufficient reason for their removal. The foundation used generic psychiatric reports as a professional justification for their actions, granting them complete control over the wards. The decision-makers relied on the unfounded belief that family socialization was harmful, categorizing Yenish families as socially damaging and inherently asocial due to their traveling lifestyle. These erroneous assumptions were rooted in discredited hereditary biological notions, which viewed the Yenish people as "genetically asocial" and a threat to the settled majority population. Prominent figures promoting population sanitation and racial hygiene concepts were involved in these practices. Psychiatrist , known for his psychiatric-eugenic writings on the fictitious "Family Zero", and German eugenicist Robert Ritter, a self-proclaimed "Gypsy expert", were among them. Federal Heinrich Haberlin, the President of the Board of Trustees of Pro Juventute, described the Yenish people as "a dark spot in our proud Swiss culture" in a brochure published in 1927, advocating for their elimination. Dispensaries, teachers, pastors, and non-profit organizations provided support to the foundation. While the legislation provided certain boundaries, these limits were often disregarded, leading to open illegality. == Controversy and aftermath ==

Following public pressure, Pro Juventute dissolved the foundation in the spring of 1973. Remaining guardianships were abolished or transferred to other individuals. The Swiss authorities, who had co-initiated the project 37 years prior, were compelled to provide financial compensation ranging from 2,000 to 7,000 Swiss francs per victim due to public outrage. However, no legal prosecution was carried out against those responsible for the project, including Alfred Siegfried (1890–1972), Clara Reust (1916–2000), and the authorities responsible for overseeing the guardianship system. In 1975, the Yenish people were officially recognized as an independent ethnic group in the Canton of Bern. Since the 1980s, self-help organizations have worked towards redressing and rehabilitating the victims who suffered from the slanderous treatment, which was justified by pseudo-scientific programs. Swiss criminal law, in Article 264 of the Swiss Penal Code, similarly criminalizes acts targeting individuals based on their nationality, race, religion, or ethnicity. Recent scientific research supports the notion that the Yenish people can be classified as one of the groups protected under the convention and Swiss law. Reparations The foundation (literally: Arise, Yenish!) was established in 1986 to address the injustice perpetrated against the Yenish (Fahrende) people in Switzerland, specifically related to the Kinder der Landstrasse program. In 1988, a fund commission was established to oversee the examination of the affected Yenish people's cases, completing its work in 1992. Recognition of crime against humanity In 2024 the Federal Office of Culture commissioned a report on whether the persecution of the Yenish and Sinti could be recognised as a crime against humanity or genocide and whether the state has responsibility under international law for these violations. The report was conducted by , Matthias Emery, and Daniel Rüfli and completed in September 2024. On the question of genocide, they conclude that while the removal of Yenish children constitutes an act of genocide, the required intent was lacking, as the goal of the policy was not destruction but assimilation. On the question of crimes against humanity, they concluded that the children and parents were deprived of various fundamental rights under a system of persecution, and so this constituted a crime against humanity. On the question of state responsibility, they highlight how while the persecution was conducted under the auspices of Pro Juventute, it was supported at all levels by state actors, and so the Swiss state bares responsibility for the crime against humanity. In February 2025, the Swiss government formally acknowledged that the forced removals and assimilation efforts targeting the Yenish, Manouche, and Sinti people under the program constituted a crime against humanity under international law. == Cinema and television ==

The project sparked intense discussions and widespread condemnation in Switzerland, leading to its examination in numerous books and films. • 2009: , DVD of the book of the same name for educational use • 2008: • 1992: , Swiss-Austrian-German movie by Urs Egger • 1991: , documentary by Oliver M. Meyer == See also ==