Search for information about Mother Home De Hoeksteen, where unmarried mothers and their babies were cared for and separated fro

Search for information about Mother Home De Hoeksteen, where unmarried mothers and their babies were cared for and separated from each other

From 1946 to 1973, unmarried mothers and their babies were taken care of and separated from each other in De Hoeksteen on Beethovenlaan in Hilversum. Fiom is looking for information or files about the 'mother home'.

In the past, an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 women in the Netherlands gave up their child - under duress - for adoption, voluntarily or involuntarily. In the 1950s to 1980s, women often came to mother and/or children's homes such as De Hoeksteen at 13 Beethovenlaan in Hilversum. They stayed there during (part of) their pregnancy and sometimes after the birth of their child.

Information about this stay and the distance for adoption is recorded in the 'distance file'. In order to give more adoptees and surrogate mothers access to parentage information, Fiom (specialist in the field of unwanted pregnancy and parentage questions) is starting a search for renunciation files and other documents with information.

Distance file

Many adoptees want to know from whom they descend, reports Fiom. They can often find answers to this question in the distance file. But not all remote files are known where they are stored. In addition, important information is recorded for adoptees in other ways, for example in diaries or photo albums. These documents are stored scattered throughout the Netherlands, sometimes also in private locations, such as at home with former employees of children's homes. It can be valuable for both mother and child to view this information, the organization emphasizes. “For adoptees, the renunciation file often provides an answer to the question of who they descend from, a human right. Because the remote files are not findable and/or accessible, they cannot claim this now.”

The Cornerstone

De Hoeksteen was a mother's home where unmarried mothers and their babies were taken care of. The house existed from about 1946 to 1973 and was located at 13 Beethovenlaan in Hilversum. According to Fiom, many mothers who lived here came from Hilversum, but mothers from other regions were also taken care of. “After the birth of the child, it was customary for the mother to leave the house at short notice. The children stayed there, moved on to other homes or were adopted.”

First years of life

In addition to information about their parents, many adoptees also want to know more about their early years, for example information about the home where they stayed. What did the daily routine look like? Did they play with other children? How were they cared for? Fiom regularly hears stories that this information was recorded by former employees of children's homes, among others. For example, they have kept diaries or photo albums.

No total overview

In the Netherlands there is no complete overview of the storage locations of all files. “We manage most remote files nationwide, but unfortunately our overview is not complete due to the reasons mentioned above. We would like to supplement this overview as much as possible, so that all mothers who have been forced to give up their child and adoptees can view their files.

Fiom makes an inventory of which documents are still available from Mother House de Hoeksteen and where they are stored, so that as many adoptees and surrogate mothers as possible have access to their parentage information.

Call

"Now that former employees are getting older, time is running out." That is why the organization is making an urgent appeal. Who knows where distance files or other parentage information are stored? Who has worked in Mother Home De Hoeksteen or another Mother Home? Or do you work or have worked at an (archive) institution that possesses remote files or parentage information? Who has other documents such as photo albums or diaries?

All information is welcome via research@fiom.nl 088-1264900. More information: Fiom.nl/archiefonderzoek .

Other documents also often provide adoptees and mothers with answers to their questions.

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