Scouting in displaced persons camps


has been active in displaced persons camps and in the lives of refugees since World War I. During and after World War II, until the early 1950s, Scouting and Guiding flourished in these camps. These Scout and Girl Guide groups often provided postal delivery and other basic services in displaced persons camps. This working system was duplicated dozens of times around the world. In the present, Scouting and Guiding once again provide services and relief in camps throughout war-torn Africa.

Armenian genocide

Scouting in Armenia was founded in 1912, then later developed abroad among the refugees who had survived the genocide of 1915-1916 and among those that had fled the new communist occupation of their lands, at which point Scouting ceased to exist in Armenia.

World War I and aftermath

Europe

Austria

Children from the refugee camp Mitterndorf took part in Scout camps of the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund. They were trained as helpers for youth-work in the camp. The head of the Knabenhort was a Scoutmaster of the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund from Trieste.

Hungary

worked in refugee reception centres and refugee camps.

Serbia

Scout worked in refugee camps.

Estonia

At that time Estonia was part of Tsarist Russia. Latvian and Lithuanian refugees founded Scout troops.

Poland

Scouts and Guides cared for refugees of conflicts after World War I.

World War II and aftermath

Europe

Austria

sent at Christmas gift parcels to 180 Guides and Brownies in DP camps.
French sector camps
From September 17 to 21, 1948 the DP Scouts of Tyrol and Vorarlberg held a Scout camp in Rinn, Tyrol. 265 persons, including 85 Girl Guides, took part.
The service team members were displaced Rover Scouts. The camp leaders were the Traveling Commissioner for D.P. Scouts in Germany and Austria J. Monnet, three Ukrainian Scouters, one Hungarian Scouter and a Scouter of the DP-Scout group of Haiming.
There were three subcamps:
  • Hungarian
  • Ukrainian
  • Girl Guides
    British sector camps
  • Plast-Ukrainian Scouting,.
Groups:
  • Graz: Plast-Ukrainian Scouting
  • Trofaiach displaced persons camp: Plast-Ukrainian Scouting
  • Feffernitz bei Feistritz, a camp for Hungarian displaced persons, had a Boy Scout troop which was founded by Tibor Zoltai in 1946.
    after 1955
  • Hungarian Scout groups were founded in refugee camps following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. In 1957 there were 11 groups with 450 Scouts registered within Pfadfinder Österreichs. Scouts helped refugees by collecting donations and food for the refugees and Scouts served in refugee camps.
  • In the Scoutcenter Höflein in Lower Austria was a refugee camp and Scouts and Guides worked there. There were also Fundraising campaigns for the refugees there by the Austrian Scouts and Guides. There were refugees from 22 August 1992 until 1998. This camps was for refugees from Yugoslavia. Austrian Scouts and Guides also worked together with the Red Cross and Caritas to help refugees.
  • In 2007 and 2008 Scouts and Guides of the Scout group Steyr 3 cooperate with "Maradonna", a residential home for juvenile refugees in Steyr.

    Germany

Prisoner of war camps
crews existed in German POW camps.
There existed for example secret Polish Rover Crews. There were also Belgian Scout groups.
American sector camps