Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants

Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants ((French): Children's Aid Society), referred to by its acronym as OSE, (infrequently written O.S.E.) is a French Jewish humanitarian organization that saved and aided many hundreds of mainly Jewish refugee children, both from France and from other Western European countries. This was before World War II; then primarily during World War II when OSE rescued the children away from the Nazis and threat of extermination; and also after World War II. During the most important period after the German occupation of France and the creation of Vichy France, OSE worked mainly in Vichy France. However, many of the OSE children had originally fled from Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Northern occupied France, and finally had arrived in Vichy France from occupied France.

The original OZE (Obshchetsvo Zdravookhraneniya Yevreyiev, Organisation for the health protection of Jews), was created in 1912 in Saint Petersburg by doctors, to help needy members of the Jewish population. Branches were established in other countries. In 1923 the organization relocated in Berlin, under the symbolic presidency of Albert Einstein. In 1933, fleeing Nazism, it relocated again, this time to France where it became the Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants (Society for Rescuing Children), retaining a similar acronym.

In France, the OSE ran Children's Homes (often called "Chateaux," but actually large "mansions," and see listing below). These Homes were for Jewish children of various ages, including infants, whose parents were either in Nazi concentration camps or had been killed.

In March 1939, several transports brought German Jewish children to France. Other children arrived either on their own or were brought by relatives. By May 1939, the OSE Children's Homes held more than 200 refugee children.

The children were schooled and trained according to their age. To prepare children for possible future dangers, the OSE teachers paid special attention to physical education and survival skills.

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