General View of the Prison Camp at Soltau

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

Subject Topic:

Germany, Soltau, Camp Order, Church, Kitchen, Security, Quarters, World War 1914-1918, Diplomatic History, European History, Military History, and Political History

Rights:

No Copyright - United States. Physical ownership of materials: "The Times History of the War," 12 (1917): 467.

URL:

https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/wwi_pow_camps/429