| | by admin | | posted on 19th June 2025 in Quakers in 100 Objects | | views 26 | |
The Quäkerspeisung Food Voucher was a lifeline for German children after World War I, symbolising the Quaker commitment to feed the hungry, uphold dignity, and build peace across borders
The voucher was a paper token, often modest in appearance, that granted a German child or family access to a nourishing meal in the years following the First World War. Translated directly, 'Quäkerspeisung' means “Quaker feeding.†These vouchers were distributed as part of a vast humanitarian effort by the Society of Friends to relieve hunger and malnutrition in postwar Germany.
Recipients would present the voucher at a local distribution centre—often a soup kitchen, school, or hall—where specially prepared meals were served. The food was simple but sustaining: warm cocoa, wholemeal porridge, and stews rich in protein. For many children, it was their only reliable daily meal.
The Quäkerspeisung programme began in 1919, shortly after the end of World War I, when Germany was facing economic collapse, widespread famine, and a breakdown in infrastructure. The British and American Friends were among the few groups allowed to cross national boundaries with aid during a time of political tension and emotional trauma.
Motivated by their peace testimony and their belief in the divine light within all people, Quakers saw no enemies, only human suffering. They worked in partnership with German social workers, doctors, and churches to identify need and distribute resources. The food voucher became a symbol of neutrality, care, and trust.
In some cities, the Quaker kitchens served up to 100,000 meals a day. A child with a voucher in hand was spared the indignity of begging or going hungry. The system restored dignity while meeting basic needs — a hallmark of Quaker relief work.
The programme was funded and organised primarily by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the British Friends War Victims Relief Committee. The work expanded into Austria, Poland, and other countries devastated by war. In the early 1920s, more than one million children were regularly fed through this initiative.
Many Germans never forgot the kindness of the Quakers. In Berlin, Cologne, and Munich, the word “Quäker†became associated not with a religious sect, but with quiet generosity. Some of those children would later become adult supporters of reconciliation movements between Germany and Britain in the aftermath of the Second World War.
The original food vouchers are now rare archival objects, sometimes found in family albums or Quaker historical collections. They serve as humble testimony to a time when compassion crossed national borders and fed hope as well as bodies.
The Quaker tradition of practical compassion in times of crisis stretches across centuries: