Boddaert-tehuis

Summary

Documentary about the Boddaert Home for children.

The documentary shows the daily activities at the home. The children, dressed in aprons and with short haircuts, concentrate hard on carpentry and cooking, cleaning the windows, gardening, reading, needlework, washing and ironing, sharpening knives, and polishing spoons. At the end of the day, there is time for a meal and a communal game.

In 1903 Elisabeth Boddaert, who had trained as a nurse in Edinburgh, opened her first home for ‘difficult youth’ in Amsterdam. Under the motto ‘overcome evil with good’, children were hospitably welcomed here after school. The Boddaert Home stood out in the way it gave the pupils caring and individualized attention. Discipline was not the order of the day here, but the daily schedule was strict, and neatness and cleanliness were of paramount importance.