Round birthday

SOS Children’s Village Seekirchen celebrates its 60th anniversary

Since the summer of 1964: a home for children in need or in crisis.(Bild: SOS Kinderdorf)

For six decades, children have found a home in Seekirchen when they are in need or require help. SOS Children's Villages is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a big party.

In the summer of 1964, SOS Children's Villages opened what was then the eighth Children's Village worldwide in Flachgau. Since the site was founded, thousands of children have found shelter here, at least for a short time. Some became teenagers here and eventually grew up. They all had one thing in common: the SOS Children's Village on the hill above Lake Wallersee gave them a new family and became their home.

Royal visit: Queen Elizabeth II in Seekirchen in 1969(Bild: SOS Kinderdorf)

Today, SOS Children's Villages looks after 130 children and young people throughout the province.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Work began in 1964 - 15 houses were built near Seekirchen at the time.(Bild: SOS Kinderdorf)

What began with 15 houses is now a village in the true sense of the word. In addition to the children's village families, there are now parent-child places and assisted living for young people. Over the decades, the range of care on offer in the city and in Flachgau has also grown.

Children have the same needs no matter where they are born. I would like us to take more account of this again.

Wolfgang Arming, Leiter SOS-Kinderdorf Salzburg

Bild: SOS Kinderdorf

"We look after 31 children and young people in Seekirchen," says Wolfgang Arming, who manages the location in the province. "In the whole of Salzburg, we look after a total of 130 people." In recent years, the number of refugee children and young people has increased.

A highlight in the 60 years: A royal visit caused a sensation in 1969. Queen Elizabeth II visited the SOS Children's Village shortly before Mother's Day on her trip to Austria. Thousands of children from Flachgau cheered on the British Queen.