Snatched from the Source

Snatched from the Source
Maja Weiss, Slovenia, 2023, 79′

Harrowing intimate stories of four stolen children, the last surviving Slovenian victims of Nazi Germany’s Lebensborn racial experiment.

In 1942, approximately thirty Slovenian babies were selected and stolen through a “racial selection” process and included in the notorious Nazi program called Lebensborn (Source of Life). This program was designed to promote the Aryan race and was led by Heinrich Himmler. As part of the program, babies were forcibly taken from their families across Europe and subsequently adopted by German couples who were perceived as loyal to the Nazi regime.
The film tells the story of four “children of the Lebensborn“: Ingrid Von Oelhafen from Germany, Haymo Henry Hayder from Costa Rica, Franc Zagožen from Belgium, and Ivan Acman from Slovenia. The protagonists of the documentary serve as the last living witnesses to a horrific racial experiment that never resulted in punishment for those responsible for the Lebensborn program. Each of them shares their unique journey of discovering the truth about their origins, accepting that truth, and ultimately finding inner peace.

“This is the best film about Lebensborn children I have ever seen. It left a profound impression on me. It uniquely portrays what was done to the stolen children and their families, how much they had to endure, and also how strong and courageous they were. It’s an accusation, a lesson, a call to humanity to finally stop such crimes against children.” – Dr. Georg Lilienthal, historian and pioneer in Lebensborn research

“The film exposes the harrowing fates and life stories of four Slovenian children torn from their parents during World War II and thrown into the wheels of the Nazi racial and Germanization machinery led by the mysterious demographic organization Lebensborn. With an undistorted historical truth, it warns against any evil and violence caused by humans to fellow humans, especially during wartime and, most notably, to the most vulnerable individuals, such as children. At the same time, it conveys a message of deep humanity and faith in the power of survival, as well as forgiveness and reconciliation, both with others and with oneself.” –  Dr. Tone Kregar, historian and director of the Museum of Recent History Celje

Maja Weiss and Nataša Konc will join us after the screening for a Q&A.