Adoption research

The project 'Adoption of Children from India in the Cantons of Zurich and Thurgau (1973–2002)'
researched the backgrounds of adoptees born in India, the placement procedures, authorities' decisions, and the children's integration in Swiss families and society.

Read more about the research project

Mother Unknown

The book on the research project, entitled Mutter unbekannt. Adoptionen aus Indien in den Kantonen Zürich und Thurgau,1973–2002, is available in English translation from Chronos.

Adoption stories

The research team documents examples of the case histories of Indian children adopted in the cantons of Zurich and Thurgau.

Artikel über die Vermittlerinnen von Adoptionen in der Schweiz

Topic texts

Each story contains links to texts providing in-depth background information on the key topics.

You can see Geneva Airport from a bird's eye view in the 1970s. Swissair aircraft are on the runway. In the background you can see mountains and in the foreground the terminal building with the word GENEVE.

From airport to hospital

Two-year-old Amita is flown alone from Calcutta to Switzerland in 1978 to be adopted by the Voser family. Her case raises questions about the ethics and lawfulness of the intercountry adoptions, in particular the motives of the organisations involved and the conditions under which Amita was placed in 'quarantine'.

Excerpt from an Indian Bollywood movie poster: Love Story, 1981

Stories of impossible love

Love stories that did not conform to societal expectations did not usually result in a happy ending. If an unmarried woman became pregnant, she had little choice but to part with her child.

Poster from a medical technology company from the 1970s, which wanted to teach women the possibility, legality and safety of abortion with the following slogan: “Abortion is legal. Abortion is safe. Abortion is a simple procedure if you contact your doctor early.”

Abortion

Abortion was the first choice for Indian women whose pregnancies were deemed socially unacceptable or who did not want to continue a pregnancy resulting from rape – but for unmarried women there were many obstacles.

The team behind the project

An international team consisting of a historian, two social
anthropologists, a sociologist and a social worker spent two years
researching adoptions from India.

The book about the project

'Mother Unknown'  describes how children were brought from India to Switzerland for adoption in the cantons of Zurich and Thurgau.

Interview with cultural anthropologist Pien Bos about Indian mothers who gave up their children for adoption, June 2023, St Gallen

Adoption and health: A dialogue between Andrea Abraham, Nadine Gautschi, Sarah Ineichen and Rita Kesselring, 25.01.2024, Bern

Interview with social worker Asha Narayan Iyer about the Indian adoption system

Video by adoptee Paul Vezin about tracing his origins

Topic

Girls preferred

In-depth information on this topic

Topic

Milton McCann from Terre des Hommes (India) Society

In-depth information on this topic

Topic

Overwhelmed

In-depth information on this topic

Adoption research project | Imprint | Pricacy policy