The Society for the Protection of War Orphans. The Chişinău Regional Committee (1918-1924)

Abstract

After the First World War, in addition to the numerous human and material losses suffered, Romania registered over 360.000 orphans of war. In Bessarabia, 24,142 children remained without one or both parents. Providing for their care and education proved to be a difficult task for the national institutions and charity societies. Among the most influential non-governmental organizations of the time that assumed the noble mission of guardianship these orphans, was the Society for the Protection of War Orphans. This study analyzes the evolution of the Chişinău Regional Committee of the Society for the Protection of War Orphans in the first six years of activity.

Keywords

• Bessarabia
• interwar period
• World War One
• war orphans