Answer for Anne—A post-WWII portrait of refugee resettlement

Peters' parents arrived in America thanks to sponsorship by Latvians already here and through the aegis of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service↗ (LIRS), an arm of Lutheran World Action (LWA) under the National Lutheran Council (NLC). Their post-WWII 1949 film, Answer for Anne, urged Americans to welcome war refugees into their hearts and communities and features a documentary of life in Valka DP Camp.

Eighty years after the end of WWII, questions and issues around America's role as a moral leader welcoming refugees and integrating them into society are as pertinent for Americans as they are existential for those who are compelled to flee their homes.

The 40-minute film was created to educate American Lutheran congregations about the plight of Displaced Persons (DPs) in post-World War II Europe, featuring Latvian refugees. The narrative follows Anne, a high school student tasked with writing a civics essay on whether her town should welcome DPs. Interviewing various townsfolk, Anne encounters a range of opinions reflecting the societal debates of the time. Her research leads her to her Lutheran pastor, who screens a movie for her detailing the lives of Latvian families in the "Valka" DP camp in Germany, showing scenes of Latvians living in overcrowded barracks, children attending school, and families striving to maintain normalcy amidst displacement.

Following President Truman signing the Displaced Persons Act of 1948↗, organizations such as LIRS were instrumental in facilitating their resettlement. They provided essential services, including housing, employment assistance, and community integration support. The film served as a call to action for American Lutherans to embody Christian compassion by supporting these efforts.

The Valka Displaced Persons Camp, established in 1946 in Nuremberg-Langwasser↗, Germany, was one of the largest DP camps in Bavaria, housing nearly 4,000 individuals from over 30 nations at its peak. Named after the Latvian-Estonian border town of Valka, the camp initially accommodated a significant number of Latvian and Estonian refugees who had fled Soviet occupation during and after World War II.

Living conditions and community life

Despite challenging conditions — overcrowded barracks, limited privacy, and scarce resources — Valka's residents endeavored to maintain a sense of normalcy and to preserve cultural identity. Latvian DPs organized cultural, educational, and religious activities, transforming the camp into a "Little Latvia." They established schools, choirs, theater groups, and workshops, including those for making traditional folk costumes — symbols of Latvians' lost homeland everywhere they wound up in exile.

Religious organizations, particularly the Lutheran Church, played a crucial role in supporting the spiritual and communal needs of the camp's inhabitants. Church services and Sunday schools were integral to camp life, providing comfort and a sense of community to both children and adults. Once resettled in exile, the Church expanded its role to serve as the nexus of secular Latvian community life.

Transition and resettlement

As international resettlement programs progressed, many Latvian DPs from Valka Camp emigrated to countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. By 1947, a significant number had left the camp, and the remaining population took on other nationalities, such as Czechs, who were granted DP status due to political upheavals in their now Soviet-occupied home countries.

• Photos from life in Valka DP camplv↗ (latviski↗) at LAPA Muzejs (Latvians in the World Museum).

The NLC↗ was founded in 1918 and served as a coordinating body for several American Lutheran synods to promote cooperative efforts, particularly in missions, public relations, and welfare services. During and following WWII, the NLC became involved in resettlement and relief efforts for displaced persons (DPs), especially European Lutherans fleeing war and persecution. It acted as a liaison between American Lutheran churches and the U.S. government, facilitating sponsorships and relocation for refugees. The Lutheran Council in the United States of America replaced the NLC in 1966.

The LWA was formed in 1940 as the relief and development arm of the NLC. It coordinated international humanitarian aid, particularly in response to the massive refugee crisis in Europe after WWII. It organized food, clothing, and medicine shipments and developed resettlement programs in partnership with overseas Lutheran bodies and U.S. congregations.

The LIRS was founded in 1939, as the Lutheran Resettlement Service, with direct involvement from the NLC. It changed its name in 1946 to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) to reflect its broader scope beyond wartime displacement. After the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, LIRS became the primary agency through which American Lutherans sponsored and resettled tens of thousands of European DPs, especially from the Baltics and Eastern Europe. It absorbed or inherited many of the resettlement functions of LWA and the NLC, and was rebranded as Global Refuge in 2023. It continues to work on:

• refugee resettlement,
• asylum seeker support,
• family reunification, and
• advocacy for humane immigration policies.