80 Years of CARE Packages: Relief Delivered by Rail

CARE is a global humanitarian organisation founded in 1945 to provide fast and effective support to people across war-torn Europe. Many Austrians benefited from CARE packages in the difficult years after the Second World War. The so-called “10-in-1” packages, originally intended for American soldiers, contained enough food to feed ten people for one day or one person for ten days.

Coffee, Tinned Food and Evaporated Milk

A typical package contained tinned meat and vegetables, coffee, cereals, sugar and powdered milk. Some also included evaporated milk, cheese, fruit or pudding. In the early days, relatives and friends in the United States could purchase a package for 15 dollars and send it to loved ones in Austria. Recipients received a postcard informing them that a package was waiting for collection at a local distribution centre.

The First Shipment to Vienna

Following an agreement between CARE and the Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs on 3 June 1946, the first major shipment was dispatched. The cargo ship Antinous transported 3,200 packages from New York to Antwerp. From there, they continued by freight train via Buchs in Switzerland to Austria.

On 19 July 1946, the first CARE packages reached Vienna’s Franz-Josefs station. Six days later, US General Mark W. Clark symbolically handed over the first ten packages to Austrian President Karl Renner. The railway played a vital role in this relief effort, linking international supply routes with stations, warehouses and distribution centres across the country.

Railways and a New Beginning

The railway itself was also rebuilding after the war. During the Nazi era, Austria’s railways had been absorbed into the Deutsche Reichsbahn and became part of the wartime machinery, playing a significant role in deportations. After 1945, the railway administration, workforce and infrastructure all had to be rebuilt.

Initially, the network operated under the name Austrian State Railways (Österreichische Staatseisenbahnen, ÖSTB). In 1947, it reverted to the name Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). More information about the role of railways in Austria during and after the Second World War can be found on the ÖBB history website (only in German). 

Despite extremely challenging conditions – around 40% of the rail network had been severely damaged or destroyed by the end of the war – rail transport remained essential for distributing aid throughout the country.

Aid Through the Decades

On 30 June 1955, CARE Austria officially completed its mission in the country. By then, more than one million CARE packages had been sent to Austria, reaching around one in seven people. Vienna remained CARE’s European headquarters until 1958, and in 1956 aid operations for Hungarian refugees were coordinated from Austria.

Today, CARE Austria is part of an international network delivering long-term humanitarian assistance around the world, including emergency relief in response to natural disasters and food crises. The organisation is also a holder of Austria’s official charitable giving quality seal.