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- Notes:
- Prisoner librarians manage the circulating library for French and Belgian POW's at Ohrdruf. Although the book collection is small, the vast majority of books are in circulation among the prison's population since books offered one of the few mental diversions available in prison camps.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- British internees at Ruhleben relax in deck chairs next to "La Boheme," a social-gathering place. Two German non-commissioned officers join the photograph to the right.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- Russian prisoners of war line up in the compound of a German prison camp in preparation for their weekly baths. The Russians referred to this activity as "Blue Monday." The Russians had a reputation for attempting to avoid baths, since this was a custom alien to many of them (Russian baths were significantly different). The Germans, however, required prisoners to bathe regularly to eliminate potential sources of disease.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- These are samples of some of the correspondence Archibald Harte received from the relatives and friends of German and Hungarian prisoners seeking information about their loved ones in captivity. Many families lost contact with their fathers and sons on the Eastern Front and Harte's trips to Russia sparked some hope that these families could find out some information.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The ball is on its way to the plate as American prisoners of war play a game of baseball in the compound of Rastatt, for the entertainment of Ukrainian spectators. Sports were an important element in maintaining POW morale during their incarceration.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- American POW's with fresh American Red Cross food parcels on their shoulders walk back to their barracks in the prison camp at Rastatt. German prison camps were divided into separate compounds, divided by barbed-wire, to enhance security.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Fire was an ever present danger in the cramped quarters of POW barracks, despite official German prohibitions against smoking and cooking inside the prisoners' quarters. French prisoners man water pumps while another practices working with the hose on a ladder during a fire drill at Regensburg.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This cartoon depicts a Belgian work kissing his baby goodbye as German soldiers seize him for employment in Germany. The workers' wife, mother, and child are powerless to prevent his deportation.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- British prisoners at St. Elot prepare to march to a prisoner assembly point under guard by German lancers.
- Date Created:
- 1914-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The Germans captured these French prisoners, under Uhlan guard, in the Avocourt Woods during the Battle of Verdun in 1916.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- A French sculptor works on a memorial in a work shop in a German prison camp. This monument will probably be erected in the prison camp's cemetery to commemorate the POW's who died in captivity. Other prisoners in the shop fill their time reading a newspaper or eating a meal at the table on the right.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- A British prisoner-of-war attempts to shinny down a drain pipe outside the Citadel in an escape attempt, under the nose of a German Landsturm sentry. Escapes from citadels and fortresses were difficult due to pre-war construction which emphasized security, but did occur from time to time.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- A group of Belgian and French prisoners at Meschede pose for a photograph in front of their barrack.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The British internees could produce a wide range of plays and musicals in the theater at Ruhleben. This photograph shows internees in the middle of set construction for a new production.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The German army provided mobile disinfection chambers to prison camps to help with the demand for disinfecting POW clothing. These three chambers are in operation in the prison camp at Koenigsbrueck under the direction of German NCO's. French POWs, dressed in protective clothing, put clothing into the machines while a British prisoner watches the operation. The German Army used these mobile disinfection chambers for use by German soldiers in the field.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners construct a war memorial for fallen soldiers in the town square of an unidentified German town under the direction of German guards.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The Russian cooking staff is busy preparing a meal in the prison kitchen in Schneidemuehl under the direction of a German non-commissioned officer. Meals were mass produced in the large pressure cookers for the prison population.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- While in captivity, a number of POW's took advantage of the opportunity to attend classes at Muensingen. In this wood block print, a teacher lectures a room of prisoners sitting at their desks. The class room is well equipped with a chalk board, globe, and desks.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Allied prisoners leave the chapel, constructed by the YMCA, at the officers' prison camp at Wiesa bei Annaberg in Saxony. The exterior of the building is decorated with bushes and trees.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- British, Russian, and French cobblers work in their shop at Doeberitz making new and repairing old shoes and boots. These shops offered important services to prisoners and offered young POW's an opportunity to learn a trade.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French prisoners plant flowers in a small garden outside of their barracks in a wooded section of the prison camp at Grafenwoehr. Gardening provided a pastime for the prisoners and improved the appearance of the camp.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Despite early successes in invading East Prussia, the Germans, under General Paul von Hindenburg, bolstered the German defenses and soon drove the Russians back into Russian Poland. This photograph shows 15,000 Russian prisoners of war awaiting transportation to prison camps in Germany.
- Date Created:
- 1914-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Example of a letter from a British prisoner at Muenster, written on 16 December 1917. It is written on official prison stationery and has received a German censor's stamp.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The Ruhleben Horticultural Society presented a Spring Flower Show on Easter Saturday, 30 March 1918, in the Ruhleben prison camp. British internees developed green thumbs to improve the appearance of the camp and for educational purposes.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This is a photograph of Commandant Niedermeyer, commandant of the prisoner of war camp at Clausthal. His twin brother was the commandant at another prison camp and both gained reputations for poor treatment of Allied POWs during the war.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- A general view of the prison camp from the watch tower or water tower at Darmstadt. French prisoners mill about the central street of the camp amid the wooden barracks.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- An outbreak of typhus or cholera in a crowded prison camp could quickly result in a raging epidemic. German medical authorities isolated newly arriving prisoners and identified soldiers with infectious diseases. Russian and Romanian troops were the most notorious as carriers of typhus and cholera. The doctors sent sick patients into quarantine in special typhus/cholera barracks, such as the buildings shown here at Lamsdorf. Recovering patients are getting some air outside of the barracks in their special compound.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- The Executive Committee continued to meet on a monthly basis throughout the Great War and this photo was taken in the Board Room in 1917. The members of the committee include (sitting left to right): F. Thomas, Adolf Hoffmann, Christian Phildius, F. L. Perrot, Paul Des Gouttes, H. Fatio, A. Rappard, H., Audeoud, and E. Choicy, as well as (standing in the rear, left to right) Theodore Giesendorf, Rudolf Horner, and Victor Schlaeppi.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French prisoners of war march along a country lane at Lille with their belongings to a POW assembly center in August 1914, guarded by Schleswig-Holstein troops.
- Date Created:
- 1914-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- German censors in prison camps always had to remain vigilant regarding the passage of secret messages in POW mail. Censors intercepted this French letter which experts deciphered.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The examples of Lagergeld (prison camp script) on this page come from the 14th Army Corps Inspector General's office in Carlsruhe (50 Pfennige), a 1 Mark note from Heidelberg, and a 100 Mark note from the officers' prison camp in Villingen (this was an especially large bank note). Both of these prison camps were located in the Grand Duchy of Baden.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners conduct squat thrusts as part of their exercise regimen in the compound at the prison camp in Zittau (Gross Poritsch). The POWs wear white identification badges on the left breast pockets of their uniforms. Healthy war prisoners were more likely to survive captivity and exercise maintained military discipline.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- British Muslim prisoners perform with Indian clubs before a group of spectators, which includes several German NCO's, in the prison camp at Zossen-Wuensdorf. These troops were Hindu and enjoyed cultural activities at this propaganda camp.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This is an example of a French officer's room at Heidelberg. The occupant has a comfortable set up: his space is separated by partitions and includes a wide range of furniture including several chairs, a stool, a hassock, and a table covered with a colorful table cloth. The prisoner has decorated the walls of his room with silhouettes of French POW's and a map (and decorated the light as well).
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- A group of Russian, and a few French, prisoners from Langensalza are ready to work in the fields under the supervision of a German NCO and a Landsturm guard. The Russian POW's in front of the wagon to the left carry shovels and pitch forks and await their orders.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Three fresh British graves stand in the New Cemetery at Limburg. The crosses bear the prisoners' names, their birth dates, and the dates of their deaths. POW's arrived in prison camps with wounds and illnesses which sometimes led to their death in captivity.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The Germans destroyed the Russian 10th Army at the Second Battle of the Mazurian Lakes in February 1915, which finally ended the Russian threat to East Prussia.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners had the opportunity to continue their educations in the prison camp school at Muensingen. This weekly lesson plan outlines the courses POW's attended and the curriculum included topics such as arithmetic, reading, geography, history, natural science, and agriculture. The goal was to improve the individual soldier during his incarceration during the war.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The German medical staff supervises the application of new dressings on wounded prisoners of war in the dispensary at Regensburg. Many of the POW's at this camp had received wounds or were recovering from illnesses. Note that the prisoner with the shoulder wound has lost his left hand and forearm.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French prisoners of war participate in some "spring cleaning" at Giessen. They are cleaning their tables and chairs in the prison compound to maintain strict sanitary codes.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Some prisoners of war sit on benches in the prison compound at Goettingen while others appear to be washing their clothing in front of their barracks. A German non-commissioned officer walks across the compound lost in thought. The POW's have planted a garden in the center of the compound. The town of Goettingen can be seen in the background.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Irish prisoners at Limburg receive communion during an outdoor Roman Catholic service. The altar stands behind the priests as they administer the sacrament. The German established a propaganda camp at Limburg for Irish Catholics in an effort to recruit volunteers for the Irish Legion, a force that would invade Ireland to free the island from British rule. Irish POW's received special privileges as an enticement to fight for their freedom.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Members of the World's Committee met in Geneva in May 1910 for a plenary session. This photograph was taken on the steps of the World's Alliance headquarters.
- Date Created:
- 1910-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Captured Romanian troops march past the Transylvanian city of Heltau and into captivity in September 1916.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners, just captured at Novo Geogievski, have just arrived at the prison camp at Stralkowo and receive their first meal in the camp. Russian prisoners ladle out soup from large wooden barrels to the first group of POW's while others patiently await their turn to receive their rations.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French, Russian, and British officers talk their daily walk for fresh air and exercise along the walls at the prison camp at Marienberg. Some prisoners of war sit on the rampart wall while others are engaged in conversation. Officers who gave their parole to German authorities, promising not to escape, often received permission to visit the local town without a guard.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The civilian internees at Ruhleben constructed elaborate trellises for their flower gardens which improved the appearance of the camp and gave the internees a hobby to pass their time. Note the clothing in the background handing out to dry on the clothes line.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- POW's from seven countries pose in this photograph taken in the prison compound at Friedrichsfeld. These troops came from Belgium, Britain, France, French West Africa, India, Russia, and Serbia and demonstrated to the German people the global challenge they faced in the war. Such photographs aided the German propaganda campaign; the Germans argued that the Allies had to rely on man power from their subject colonies to support their war effort.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- English officers work in the prison laboratory in Guetersloh where they conduct research and medical tests using modern lab equipment. Prisoners could continue their research while in captivity and contribute to the health of the prisoners assigned to the infirmary.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners assemble in the town square at Mlawa in Russian Poland under the gaze of Polish towns people and German troops.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Newly captured British prisoners march through the main gate at Muenster and into captivity for the remainder of the war. German officers supervise the arrival and will soon introduce the new facility to these war prisoners.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- A group of Scottish and English prisoners of war relax in the compound at Doeberitz smoking their pipes and cigarettes. Note the German non-commissioned officer standing to the extreme right smoking a cigarette.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Actors participate in a scene from a French play in the theater at Koenigsbrueck. Note that the three female parts are played by male actors. The YMCA provided scripts and costumes to help prisoners stage performances and these plays provided the camp population with a source of welcome relief from the monotony of daily prison camp life.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Recently captured French prisoners march through the town square in France enroute to the railway station under German guard. A group of German officers and French women watch the procession.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners captured in the fighting in Austrian Galacia carry their machine guns over their shoulders or drag the weapons in pairs through the streets of Gorlice.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Russian prisoners in an Arbeitskommando (labor detachment) turn over the top soil on the moorland of Loecknitz under the supervision of a German guard. This labor detachment worked out of the prison camp in Stettin, which was less than two miles away. Allied prisoners replace German farmers, who had been called to arms, to support the empire's agricultural economy.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Interned British civilians enter the main compound at Ruhleben through the gates after an afternoon of sports and recreation on the race track.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- A rabbi leads an outdoor service for Russian prisoners of war from a set of stairs in the prison compound at Hammerstein. A large number of Russians have assembled to participate in the service, including a man in civilian clothing, possibly a German rabbi. A prisoner in front of the stairs holds the Talmud.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French prisoners carry in a load of fire wood on their backs for fuel to heat and run the prison in an unidentified camp. A German guard stands at the right.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- A French Roman Catholic Vicar General visits with the wounded in a ward in Hospital 106 in Cambrai. Once prisoners recovered and became ambulatory, the Germans sent them to prison camps in Germany. If their wounds persisted, they would be assigned to the prison hospital lazaret until they recovered.
- Date Created:
- 1914-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Allied prisoners carry butchered meat on their shoulders into the camp kitchen at Ulm under the supervision of German non-commissioned officers. On the black board to the left of the door is the lunch menu planned 1 September 1915. POWs received at least one meat or fish dish every day for protein which was supposed to be the equivalent to rations given to German troops.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This two Mark note was valid only in the officer prison camp at Cassel by prisoners inside the compound. The circulation of currency limited to prison use reduced the potential for bribing German guards and eliminated its use in escape attempts.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French Arab prisoners receive an inoculation and have their dressings changed by German and French doctors in the infirmary at Giessen. The POW at the right is somewhat suspicious of the ministrations of the German doctor.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French and Belgian prisoners unload packages from two wagons outside the parcel post office at Grafenwoehr. The prisoners retrieved the parcels from the railroad station in town. They work under the direction of a German NCO and a Landsturm sentry. Once inside the office, they will be inspected by German authorities for contraband before they are distributed. These packages greatly improved the diets of POW's as well as their morale.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This drawing shows French and French Arab prisoners of war standing in the rain in the prison compound at Langensalza. They are wearing blankets while they wait for their uniforms to be disinfected. Most are wearing wooden shoes due to the lack fof leather in Germany during the war. After several epidemics, the Germans took strict measures to prevent the transmission of disease, especially if there was any suspicion of a potential outbreak.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French prisoners of war line up for additional food and provisions outside the window of the camp canteen at Limburg. One French soldier, in the line to the left, proudly wears two medals on his chest, while a German non-commissioned officer stands to the right. These prisoners could make their purchases using their prison script (Lagergeld) which they received for their work assignments or from their savings in the prison camp bank.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Eight British prisoners of war line up for a photograph in the Cambrai citadel after their capture in the failed Somme Offensive in August 1916.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French and Russian POW's, comprising the First Company, line up for roll call outside the old fortress at Rastatt.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French non-commissioned officers also lived in comparative luxury in comparison to French privates. In this drawing of a French sergeant's room at Muensingen, the non-commisioned officer enjoys a single bed, desk, and shelves which support a number of personal belongings.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- A French North African prisoner of war holds a bowl of potatoes for sale along with other goods at his outdoor "booth" at the prison camp at Cassel. Russian POWs and internees are interested in his wares since fresh potatoes will enhance their daily rations.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The YMCA encouraged civilian internees at Ruhleben to plant gardens outside their barracks to improve the appearance of the camp and to give the prisoners projects to help them pass their idle time while in captivity. The Ruhleben Horticultural Society provided prizes to the best garden in this April 1917 competition.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- British internees exercised self-government during their incarceration at Ruhleben, which included the election of camp administrators. This drawing shows a variety of election campaign posters at the bill-posting station in the prison camp. The British chaffed under German administration and demanded internal administration.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This is a sketch of Peter, aged thirteen, who was the youngest prisoner at Torgau. He had been a powder monkey (boys who provided ammunition to artillery or troops in battle) in the Russian Army and probably followed his father into military service when the Russians mobilized in 1914.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This table indicates the articles of clothing distributed to Allied prisoners of war in the German prison camp at Germersheim between April 1915 and March 1918. The list provides an overview of the caps, scarves, jackets, pants, shirts, underwear, wash rags, boots, Oxford shoes, wooden shoes, coats, gloves, and socks provided by the Germans during the war.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French prisoners and German staff members prepare dinner in the huge cookers in the background of the photograph of the camp kitchen at Guetersloh. The food will be served in the dining hall in the large pots sitting on the table. Mass production of rations was essential to feed large numbers of prisoners three times a day.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Mrs. Norrie and these women ran the YMCA hospitality hut at the Cannon Street Station in London and provided a variety of services for British soldiers returning home from incarceration in Germany, including an open canteen. The banner behind the women declares, "The Red Triangle Welcomes You."
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- American doughboys enter a castle overlooking the Rhine River on a sight-seeing tour. These troops occupied Coblenz after the withdrawal of German forces in fulfillment of the Armistice of November 1918. American YMCA secretaries accompanied these forces and continued to provide extensive welfare services.
- Date Created:
- 1919-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This drawing portrays French civilian internees pass their time in conversation, reading, and writing. Most of these men were serving time as hostages to ensure a peaceful occupation of French territory. Life for civilians in the bastion at Rastatt was tedious as civilian prisoners spent a great deal of their time in monotony because they did not have access to the same programs POW's enjoyed in prison camps nor did they have the chance to work outside of their cells.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This drawing depicts a French officer distributing pay to British officers in Magdeburg. Prisoners in this camp received metal discs in lieu of German money. These discs could be traced back to individual prisoners, a practice designed to reduce bribery of the German guards.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This photo provides a view of the main entrance to the new YMCA hall at Darmstadt during the building's dedication ceremony. French Arab prisoners stand as a guard of honor in preparation for the event. The prisoners, who constructed the building, decorated the hall with garlands to celebrate the occasion.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- German non-commissioned officers carefully inspect newly-arrived packages in the Parcel Post Office in Duelmen for contraband. The traffic in illegal materials forced the Germans to dissect parcels which ruined the contents of the packages.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French women from Ban-de-Sept, a village in the Vosges, sit in their barracks and sew in the prison camp at Holzminden.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French prisoners of war carry their bowls of soup back to their barracks at meal time from the camp kitchen in a German prison camp.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- French university students who ended their studies to join the army during the war were able to continue their educations at the French University at Schneidemuehl, with the support of the American YMCA. This course schedule reflects the wide range of courses (grammar, literature, math, physical sciences, business, industry, law, and music) offered at different levels in the prison camp. The Association worked with German professors in local universities to set up courses and provided students with certificates upon their successful completion of their courses.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Shelves of recently arrived parcels for Allied officers stand in the Parcel Post Room at the officer prison camp in Freiburg. These packets await inspection by German non-commissioned officers, who will search for contraband before distributing the parcels to the prisoners.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The prisoners often planted flower gardens to decorate their surroundings and provide a pastime, which often included vegetables to enhance their rations. This is a photograph of a flower patch between the wooden barracks at Hameln.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Hundreds of British prisoners line up in the citadel at Cambrai in August 1916 after they had been captured in the fighting during the Somme Offensive.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- The members of the American Distribution Committee divide up and organize ten days' supply of food for American prisoners of war at Rastatt, after the parcels passed through German inspection. The American Red Cross sent the food to Germany to ensure the good health of American prisoners.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- A group of British prisoners stand in front of their barrack displaying some of their belongings at Schneidemuehl. The prisoners enjoy a gramophone, several musical instruments (including drums, a mandolin, and harmonicas), and what appears to be a set of Indian clubs for exercise.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This photograph depicts a panoramic view of the prison camp at Soltau and identifies the two compounds, the kitchens, and the Roman Catholic church. Most of the barracks in the camp are the typical one-story wooden buildings found in many German prison camps. An unfinished building stands in the lower left hand corner. The guns on the perimeter of the camp ensured camp security. The Germans divided larger prison camps into compounds for better security and to take advantage of economies of scale. Only one railway line was needed to transport POWs and supplies to the facility and one large kitchen could feed all of the inmates. The compound system made it easier to keep track of POWs, divide hostile elements, and better control the camp population.
- Date Created:
- 1917-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Prisoners with money could purchase additional food and supplies at the prison camp canteen. In this drawing, French POW's obtain some food from the soup canteen at Muensingen.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This photograph illustrates the French library collection at Ohrdruf. The American YMCA provided a large number of books and pre-war magazines to stock the libraries of prison camps across Germany.
- Date Created:
- 1918-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- This 20-Pfennige postage stamp for mail within the confines of the prison camp at Erfurt. The stamp carries an image of the German imperial eagle and identifies the camp's location in the XI Army Corps district.
- Date Created:
- 1916-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries
- Notes:
- Some of the members of the 12th Company pose for a photograph in the prison compound at Giessen. Most of the members of this unit were French POW's. One of the POWs is carrying a bucket, perhaps for washing, while two others are wounded and use canes.
- Date Created:
- 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Western Michigan University. Libraries