New exhibition explores how war shapes children's lives

An exhibition called Childhood in War has opened at the Imperial War Museum in London. It shows how war deeply affects the lives of children.

The exhibition features objects and stories from children who have lived through conflicts. One of these is John Hajdu, who was three years old when World War II began. His most treasured item, a small teddy bear given to him by his parents, is being shown for the first time. This bear is the only thing he has left from his childhood.

John remembers his teddy bear staying with him through very difficult times. His father was sent to a labour camp, and his mother to a concentration camp. He had to hide in a neighbour's cupboard and later lived in the Budapest ghetto. For him, the teddy bear was a connection to the family life he could barely remember.

The exhibition recreates wartime settings, such as a bedroom and a classroom. These spaces display items like toys, books, and personal belongings. Visitors can also see a recreated railway carriage and a wartime kitchen. The exhibition includes moving accounts from children currently experiencing war in places like Ukraine, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

John explains that during the war, he had no chance to just be a child. He couldn't play with other children or go to parks or cinemas because of restrictions and the yellow star he had to wear. He felt completely isolated. The exhibition highlights these everyday losses that war causes to children's lives, affecting their play, education, and family routines.

Other displays include comics warning about landmines and personal items belonging to children who were evacuated from their homes. There are also letters and objects from the Kindertransport, a rescue mission that brought thousands of Jewish children from Nazi Germany to safety.

John’s story continues with his mother being arrested and sent to Mauthausen concentration camp. He hid in a dark cupboard for a long time, holding his teddy bear. Later, he moved into the crowded Budapest ghetto, where survival was extremely hard with little food and bodies on the streets. He was reunited with his parents after the ghetto was liberated, although his mother had suffered greatly.

The exhibition also shows how war can politicise childhood through materials from groups like the Hitler Youth. Curator Fran Singleton hopes the exhibition will provide a space for families to discuss the impact of war on children, especially with so many current conflicts in the news. John, now a grandfather, encourages younger generations to talk to their elders about their experiences and to keep sharing these important stories of survival.