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Alice Eckenstein

1890 – 1984

Swiss rescuer of children in occupied Belgium during World War I

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About Alice Eckenstein

Lived 1890 – 1984 (aged 94). Alice Eckenstein was a Swiss.

Alice Emilie Eckenstein (Basel, Switzerland 31 January 1890 – Riehen, Basel, Switzerland 12 May 1984) was a Swiss rescuer of children in need in occupied Belgium during World War I. 110px

Life Eckenstein was the daughter of Arnold Eckenstein-Marfort, a merchant on Grellinger Street in Basel. At a young age, she desired to help others in need. After an appeal in the local press on 5 October 1914 by Mary Widmer-Curtat, she established under the patronage of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) an office in Basel with the intention to repatriate children in need from occupied Belgium. Among the numerous documents and letters that passed through her hands, those of anxious parents got her attention. During the summer campaign of 1914, multiple parents were surprised by the rapid advance of the Germans and were separated from their children, cut off by the frontline. Eckenstein, risking her life, succeeded in repatriating children from occupied Belgium to Switzerland, and then to the unoccupied zones of Belgium or France where they were reunited with their parents. Her ashes are buried at the Wolfgottesacker cemetery in Basel.

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Important facts

Birth century
Also known as
Alice Emilie Eckenstein

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Alice Eckenstein's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Alice Eckenstein?

Swiss rescuer of children in occupied Belgium during World War I

When was Alice Eckenstein born?

Alice Eckenstein was born on 31 January 1890 in Basel.

When did Alice Eckenstein die?

Alice Eckenstein died on 12 May 1984 in Basel.

What nationality was Alice Eckenstein?

Alice Eckenstein was Swiss.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Alice Eckenstein

· Wikidata: Q2054238

· DBpedia: Alice Eckenstein

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alice Eckenstein. https://biography.guide/alice-eckenstein/

MLA: "Alice Eckenstein." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alice-eckenstein/.

Chicago: "Alice Eckenstein." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alice-eckenstein/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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