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- Notes:
- These Russian prisoners of war were members of the YMCA Band in a German prison which included brass, woodwind, and percussion sections. They are sitting on the stage of a theater where they performed during theatricals. An unidentified Red Triangle secretary sits behind the big bass drum in civilian attire.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This photograph shows the reading room and library at Cassel. French, Belgian, and Russian prisoners enjoy a wide range of reading materials in the library for both education and entertainment.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Allied prisoners of war of all nationalities enjoy a restful Sunday afternoon in the prison compound at Goettingen. Colonel Bogen, the camp commandant, stands in the foreground to the left.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian sergeants and corporals enjoyed a higher standard of living in relation to the rank and file depicted in this drawing of a Russian non-commissioned officer's room in Muensingen. Not only does the non-commissioned officer have a single bed, wall cabinet, and desk, he has a number of musical instruments (a mandolin, balalaika, and accordion) and fans decorate the walls.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The French orchestra performs an afternoon concert for recuperating sick and wounded prisoners of war in a garden outside of the hospital ward at Goettingen. The civilian standing to the extreme left, talking to the wounded Russian soldier is probably Archibald C. Harte.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French, French Arab, and Russian POW's mill about the camp compound at Langensalza in this drawing. This was the "main street" of the facility and the illustration shows a barrack and disinfection wagons in the background. The prisoners converse, smoke pipes, read newspapers, and play board games as they pass the time.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners created this sand and cement mosiac of a Kazak Uhlan in 1915. Outdoor art work was a very popular pastime in Koenigsbrueck. Russian and French prisoners flank the work, admiring the detailed craftsmanship.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This photograph shows the interior of the Association building at Crossen-an-der-Oder. Russian instructors, from the POW population, teach a class for their fellow countrymen. The YMCA strove to provide educational opportunities to prisoners of war to help them find better jobs and help their families after repatriation.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The prisoner band at Danzig is about to perform for sick and wounded POW's under the direction of a German officer. War prisoners often enjoyed afternoon performances by camp bands.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Prisoners of war at Goerlitz work in a decorative garden outside of their barracks under the supervision of a German non-commissioned officer. Gardening provided prisoners with a hobby to help break the monotony of prison camp life and improved the general appearance of the camp.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners-of-war stand near an artistic garden plot which depicts a German iron cross with oak leaf clusters. The garden is located near the wall which surrounded part of the prison camp at Neuhammer and a German non-commissioned officer sits on a horse. POW's could pass the time working in these types of gardens which decorated the prison camp.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- German non-commissioned officers, guards, and Russian prisoners congregate on a street in the prison camp at Aschaffenburg in Bavaria. Prisoners lived in wooden barracks, which they decorated with flower boxes under the windows. Note the child to the extreme right of the photograph, possibly a visitor to the camp.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French and Russian prisoners read books and newspapers in the reading room and library at Cassel. They sit at benches and will be warmed in the winter by the large oven in the middle of the room. The rear wall is decorated with a variety of pictures. Given the large number of POW's in the room, reading was important for inmates in terms of education and entertainment during the prisoners' free time.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Musical performances lifted spirits within prison camps and this photo shows a Russian POW balalaika orchestra at Muensingen.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Seven prisoners of war at Ohrdruf enjoy some refreshments outside of their barracks. French, French North African, Belgian, Russian, and British (Scottish) soldiers partake in a social opportunity early in the war.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Fighting lice was the scourge of all POW's during World War I, whether in a prison camp or in the trenches. French, Russian, and Belgian prisoners have set their mattresses in the sun to air out their bedding to help eliminate the infestation. Some prisoners are reading, playing board games, or repairing their uniforms in front of their barracks at Nuernberg. Others have taken the opportunity to wash their clothing and hang them out to dry by the building.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners of war in an unidentified German prison camp perform in a prison compound. These men are members of the YMCA Orchestra. The Red Triangle provided their musical instruments and their music. By providing instruments, the Association was able to support entertainment programs, often featuring talented musicians.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Four prisoners of war are hard at work on different projects in the artist studio in Stargard. Examples of their work include caricatures of soldiers, portraits of prisoners, and a Russian artist working on a painting of the Madonna and child. The bunk to the left suggests that the artists lived in their studio. Some painters offered art classes to POWs as part of the educational curriculum in prison camps.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This sketch of a group of Russian officers at Torgau, enjoying the evening by drinking hot tea and caramel beer while singing hymns in the prison camp canteen. Officers had a lot of time on their hands, especially since they were not expected to work by the German authorities.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- These Russian prisoners of war formed a singing society and performed concerts for their fellow POW's. They are standing in the prison compound of an unidentified prison camp, outside one of the barracks.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners in the YMCA orchestra perform in an outdoor concert for sick and wounded POW's at Crossen-an-der-Oder. The Association provided musical instruments and sheet music to prisoners to help them form bands and orchestras to provide entertainment to the general prison population.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The stringed orchestra at Bautzen, composed of French and Russian musicians, performs outdoors for the prisoners. German soldiers are among the audience circling the orchestra. Note the white identification badge on the front of many of the prisoners' caps.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Seven Polish prisoners of war painted this picture of the Black Madonna of Czestohowe during their incarceration in a German prison camp. Artists could enhance the beauty and symbolism of prison camp churches through their art work.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- British, Russian, French, and Belgian prisoners of war cram into the reading room of the YMCA hall at Goettingen. They have access to books and pre-war magazines in the Association library. To maximize capacity within the hall, the YMCA provided benches, but not tables.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French, British, and Russian prisoners of war pack the YMCA reading room in Goettingen. To maximize space, there are no tables to make sure that as many prisoners as possible can be accommodated in the reading room.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Prisoners of war are busy washing their laundry outdoors on the Hauptstrasse (Main Street) of the prison camp at Goettingen. This "street" was the main thoroughfare in the camp and was bordered by the barracks. A garden is in the foreground of the photograph which included both flowers and vegetables. These crops helped to diversify the prisoners' diets during the summer.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- British enlisted prisoners participate in the YMCA Sports Day competition at the prison camp at Cellelager before a large crowd of spectators of Russian POW's and German officers. Note the construction of a new barrack in the background.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The prison camp orchestra, composed of British, French, and Russian musicians, pose for a group photograph with their musical instruments at the prison camp at Goettingen. The orchestra performed at the dedication of the new YMCA hall in 1915.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The Russian prisoners of war at Goettingen formed a balalaika orchestra. Their musical instruments ranged from small mandolins to the large bass balalaika.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French and Russian prisoners relax outside their barrack in Koenigsbrueck one afternoon. The men are spending their time reading, playing cards, or engrossed in a chess game under the supervision of two German guards.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- A group of Russian prisoners play a game of cards in their barrack at Heuberg using a stool as their card table. Gambling could become a serious vice in prison camps, especially since many prisoners had a lot of time on their hands and few wholesome diversions. Note that the POWs hung their dining utensils and clothing on the walls of their barrack.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- In front of an administrative building in Ulm, Russian prisoners obtain copies of the prison camp newspaper. Many camps printed their own newspapers to provide POW's with information about camp news, social events, sports, and class and church schedules. Proceeds from the sale of newspapers often went to the camp Help Committee. German authorities also printed special propaganda newspapers, especially in Wuerttemberg, in an effort to sway POW opinions.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Social workers and neutral inspectors often visited prison camps to meet prisoners. In this wood block print, a social worker, probably a YMCA secretary, distributes books to French and Russian prisoners of war at Muensingen. Books were important for entertainment to help POW's pass their time and to support education programs.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French prisoners work on a sand and cement mosaic of Marianne, the symbol of the French republic at the prison camp at Koenigsbrueck. This type of outdoor art work was very popular in the camp. Russian and French prisoners stand around the mosaic for the photograph.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Two Russian prisoners of war show their paintings to an unidentified YMCA secretary during a visit to an unidentified German prison camp. Angels appearing from heaven on the battlefield are the themes of both paintings on the easel. The YMCA provided art supplies to prisoners to encourage them to paint. POW's often displayed their art work at POW exhibitions and sold their art in neutral countries to earn some money.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners play mandolins and violins while two POW's dance in the compound in Czersk. German non-commissioned officers watch the entertainment. These performances provided a great deal of entertainment for war prisoners.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French and Russian enlisted prisoners display their wood working projects for two German officers outside of the main prison building at Wuerzburg. There are examples of airplanes, birds, and a windmill which demonstrated the wood working skills of the prisoners. Captivity in prison provided men with considerable time to practice their hobbies and exhibitions allowed the POW's to show off their abilities.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- A Russian prisoner of war performs a song on his mandolin in the prison camp at Goettingen. Music was an important source of entertainment, especially for Russian POW's.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Plays and theatrical performances allowed prisoners to develop their thespian skills and provided the general camp population with a source of entertainment. This photograph shows a Russian cast, which includes two men dressed in female roles, posing inside the theater at Muensingen.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This Russian choir is singing inside the YMCA Hall of a German prison camp. Choirs were very popular in military prisons; they could be used in theatricals, perform at special events and festivals, and support religious services.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries