Wolf children in Lithuania – The forgotten orphans of World War Two | DW Documentary

Wolf children in Lithuania – The forgotten orphans of World War Two | DW Documentary

Wolf children in Lithuania – The forgotten orphans of World War Two | DW Documentary

Luise was four when she fled Königsberg for Lithuania. She was given a Lithuanian name and forbidden from speaking German.

The end of World War Two changed not only the borders, but also countless lives—like Luise’s. She was one of hundreds of what now referred to as ‘wolf children,’ who fought to survive without their parents, all alone in East Prussia and the Baltics. The mass exodus from East Prussia deeply affected children. In northern East Prussia, around Königsberg, tens of thousands of people died from disease and malnutrition. Often, the children were left behind. But without their parents, any relatives, or homes, they were had to fend for themselves. Many fled from impending starvation by crossing into neighboring Lithuania, where they begged or worked for bread and other bare necessities. For decades, their stories went unrecognized. They were too young to be considered directly complicit, but just German enough to be blamed for the crimes of the Nazi regime.

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Video “Wolf children in Lithuania – The forgotten orphans of World War Two | DW Documentary” was uploaded on 10/20/2025 by DW Documentary Youtube channel.