Naznaczone przez historię – losy niechcianych dzieci w Europie w epoce modernizacji
Marked by History – the Fate of Unwanted Children in Europe in the Age of Modernisation

Summary/Abstract: This review article discusses the monograph Niechciane, porzucane, naznaczone. Dzieci w modernizującej się Europie (od schyłku XVIII do początków XX wieku) [Unwanted, Abandoned, Marked: Children in Modernising Europe (From the Late 18th Century to the Early 20th Century)] by Elżbieta Kaczyńska (2024) and highlights the author's interdisciplinary approach to the fate of the book's titular children in the context of the social, cultural and political changes of modernising Europe. Kaczyńska addresses the subject from a broad historical perspective, integrating sociological, pedagogical, religious, cultural, and economic aspects. The volume comprises nine chapters, framed by a preface and a conclusion, in which Kaczyńska explores key issues such as unwanted pregnancies, infanticide, the fate of abandoned children, the impact of industrialisation on childhood, and the evolving social attitudes toward children and their rights. The paper underscores the strengths of the publication while noting its limitations. It also draws attention to the extensive source material that underpins Kaczyńska's analysis. Overall, the book makes a significant contribution to child and childhood studies, illuminating the complexity of its historical conditions.

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