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Series

British Council: National Hearths: Correspondence and Papers

Catalogue reference: BW 108

What's it about?

BW 108

Surviving files of the Resident Foreigners Section, covering the Netherlands, Polish and Yugoslav homes in London established for refugees during the Second World War.

Full description and record details

Reference

BW 108

Title
British Council: National Hearths: Correspondence and Papers
Date

1942-1946

Description

Surviving files of the Resident Foreigners Section, covering the Netherlands, Polish and Yugoslav homes in London established for refugees during the Second World War.

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Legal status

Not Public Record(s)

Language

English

Physical description

7 file(s)

Subjects
Topics
Refugees
Europe and Russia
Conflict
Operations, battles and campaigns
Selection and destruction information

The records in this series are the only ones known to have survived concerning national hearths.

Administrative / biographical background

National hearths (or houses) were set up in London, Liverpool and throughout the UK as meeting places for civilians and servicemen of the allied nations, with the aim of making visitors feel they were coming to a home away from home. The Resident Foreigners Section gave assistance in the running of these national and allied centres, each of which was run by an executive committee with a resident director and/or secretary. British Council responsibility for the centres came to an end in 1945 and the buildings were sold off in 1946.

Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C3511/

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Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

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Within the department: BW

Records of the British Council

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British Council: National Hearths: Correspondence and Papers

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