Less than a year after the end of World War II, a diverse group around Robert Walter Corti (1910–1990) founded the Kinderdorf Pestalozzi (Children’s Village Pestalozzi), a small village for children affected by the war, above the hills of Trogen, Switzerland. Among others, the reform pedagogue and pacifist Elisabeth Rotten was involved in devel- oping the conception of the Children’s Village. As a result of learning about the atrocities during World War I, Rotten got involved in various reformist movements such as the women’s movement, pacifist groups, and progressive educational circles. This article exa- mines how Rotten linked the ideas of these movements to the conception of the Chil- dren’s Village Pestalozzi. Using Rotten’s biography as a framework, the Children’s Villa- ge is here presented as a laboratory of international understanding, aiming to prevent future wars. Lastly, the article points out how Rotten, by using her connection to UNES- CO, successfully promoted the Children’s Village in Trogen as an international model for children’s homes after World War II.