26/09/2025
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Sleeping with the enemy: In Norway, between 8,000 and 12,000 babies were born, including Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA. Similar trends were encouraged in Denmark and the Netherlands.
Conquering soldiers often had much to offer, especially those of higher rank who could provide various inducements.
These circumstances led some women to provide companionship to these lonely soldiers, and sometimes the soldiers took advantage of inexperienced girls unaware of the implications of their actions.
During the French occupation, over 200,000 babies were born to German fathers. This was not unique to France; for example, in one of the Channel Islands, 900 such babies were registered. In Norway, between 8,000 and 12,000 babies were born, including Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA. Similar trends were encouraged in Denmark and the Netherlands.
While there are numerous joyful images from the liberation of France in 1944, there are also disturbing ones.
Among these is the portrayal of women accused of "collaboration horizontale". One unforgettable image by Robert Capa shows a shaven-headed young woman holding her baby, presumably fathered by a German soldier, reflecting the complex aftermath of the occupation.
