World War I represented a turning point not only for the emergence of the Lithuanian nation-state but also for the implementation of nation-building practices. Throughout wartime, the Lithuanian War Relief Committee profited from its position as a tool to develop a network of facilities devoted to children assistance. While having unprecedented rights to autonomously administer relief facilities, the Committee, as far as financial conditions allowed it, supported isolation in hostels as the favourite child relief format. Through formal and informal educational activities as well as the adoption of particular hygiene norms and, later, children relocation, the Lithuanian élite tried and transformed hostels and relief in veritable tools of nation-building aimed at transforming children in would-be conscious nationals. The goal to create prototypical Lithuanians, however, at least partially failed due by children’s alternative (if not opposite) agency.

第一次世界大战不仅代表了立陶宛民族国家的出现，而且代表了国家建设实践的实施，是一个转折点。在整个战争期间，立陶宛战争救济委员会从其作为发展专门用于儿童援助的设施网络的工具中受益。尽管委员会拥有前所未有的自主管理救济设施的权利，但在财政条件允许的范围内，委员会支持将宿舍隔离，将其作为最受欢迎的儿童救济形式。通过正式和非正式的教育活动，以及通过特殊的卫生规范以及后来的儿童迁徙，立陶宛精英尝试并改变了旅馆和救济品，建立了名副其实的国家建设工具，目的是将儿童转变为有意识的国民。