Stalag VIII-B was most recently a

German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

administered

POW camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, an ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, later renumbered Stalag-344, located near the village of Lamsdorf (now

Łambinowice Łambinowice is a village in Nysa County, Opole Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Łambinowice. It lies approximately north-east of Nysa, Poland, Nysa and south-west of the region ...

) in

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

. The camp contained barracks built to house British and French

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

POWs. The site had housed POWs of the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

of 1870-71.

Timeline

In the 1860s, the Prussian Army established a training area for artillery at a wooded area near Lamsdorf, a small village connected by rail to

Opole Opole (; ; ; ) is a city located in southern Poland on the Oder River and the historical capital of Upper Silesia. With a population of approximately 127,387 as of the 2021 census, it is the capital of Opole Voivodeship (province) and the seat of ...

and Nysa. During the

, a camp for about 3,000 French POWs was established here. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, a much larger POW camp was established here with some 90,000 soldiers of various nationalities interned here. After the Treaty of Versailles, the camp was decommissioned. It was recommissioned in 1939 to house

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

prisoners from the German

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

, which started

in September 1939. Later during the war, approximately 100,000 prisoners from

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, the

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, the

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, the

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, the Isle of Man, the

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and

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passed through this camp. In 1941 a separate camp,

Stalag VIII-F Stalag VIII-F was a German prisoner-of-war camp for Soviet Red Army and Polish Home Army (, abbreviated AK) prisoners during World War II. It was located at the northern end of a Germany Army training area at Lamsdorf, Silesia, (now Łambinowice, ...

was set up nearby for Soviet POWs. In 1943, the Lamsdorf camp population was split up, and many of the prisoners (and ''Arbeitskommando'') were transferred to two new base camps

Stalag VIII-C Stalag VIII-C was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp, near Sagan, Lower Silesia (now Żagań, Poland). It was adjacent to the famous Stalag Luft III, and was built at the beginning of World War II, occupying . It housed Allied POWs of vari ...

Sagan (modern

Żagań Żagań (French language, French and , ) is a town in western Poland, on the Bóbr river, with 25,731 inhabitants (2019), capital of Żagań County in the Lubusz Voivodeship, located in the historic region of Lower Silesia. Founded in the 12th ce ...

) and Stalag VIII-D Teschen (modern

Český Těšín Český Těšín (; ; ) is a town in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. Český Těšín lies on the west bank of the Olza (river), Olza river, in the heart of the historical ...

). The base camp at Lamsdorf was renumbered Stalag 344. On 6–7 October, 5,789 Polish insurgents, including women and children of the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...

were brought to the camp. Most were soon moved to other POW camps, including

Oflag II-C Oflag II-C Woldenburg was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp located about from the town of Woldenberg, Brandenburg (now Dobiegniew, western Poland). The camp housed Polish officers and orderlies and had an area of with 25 brick huts fo ...

Oflag II-D Oflag II-D Gross Born (Grossborn-Westfalenhof) was a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp located at Gross Born, Pomerania (now Borne Sulinowo, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland), near Westfalenhof ( Kłomino). It housed Polish and Frenc ...

, Oflag VII-A,

Stalag XVIII-C In Germany, stalag (; ) was a term used for prisoner-of-war camps. Stalag is a contraction of "Stammlager", itself short for ''Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschaftsstammlager'', literally "main camp for Enlisted rank, enlisted prisoners of war" (office ...

Stalag III-A Stalag III-A was a German World War II German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II, prisoner-of-war (POW) camp at Luckenwalde, Brandenburg, south of Berlin. It housed Polish, Dutch, Belgian, French prisoners of war in World War II, French, Yugosl ...

Stalag IV-B Stalag IV-B was one of the largest prisoner-of-war camps in Germany during World War II, located north-east of the town of Mühlberg. It held Polish, French, British, Australian, Soviet, South African, Italian and other Allied prisoners of war. ...

Stalag VII-A Stalag VII-A (in full: ''Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschafts-Stammlager VII-A'') was the largest prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi Germany during World War II, located just north of the town of Moosburg in southern Bavaria. The camp covered an area of . It se ...

Stalag VII-B In Germany, stalag (; ) was a term used for prisoner-of-war camps. Stalag is a contraction of "Stammlager", itself short for ''Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschaftsstammlager'', literally "main camp for enlisted prisoners of war" (officers were kept i ...

Stalag IX-C Stalag IX-C was a German prisoner-of-war camp for Allied soldiers in World War II. Although its headquarters were located near Bad Sulza, between Erfurt and Leipzig in Thuringia, its sub-camps – ''Arbeitskommando'' – were spread over a wide ar ...

Stalag XIII-D Stalag XIII-D Nürnberg Langwasser was a German Army World War II prisoner-of-war camp built on what had been the Nazi party rally grounds in Nuremberg, northern Bavaria. Camp history In September 1939 an internment camp for enemy civilians was ...

. The

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

reached the camp on 17 March 1945. In 1945-1946, the camp was used by the Soviet-installed Polish

Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...

to house some 8000-9000 Germans, both POWs and

civilians A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civilian enga ...

. Polish army personnel being repatriated from POW camps were also processed through Łambinowice and sometimes held there as prisoners for several months. Some were later released, others sent to

Gulag The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...

s in Siberia. About 1000-1500 German prisoners died in the camp due to maltreatment and deprivation: malnutrition, lack of medicine and acts of violence and terror by the Soviet guards. Camp commander Czesław Gęborski would be put on trial for his role in running the camp.

Stalag Luft VIII-B

By 1943 the famous camp for Allied flight personnel in Sagan,

Stalag Luft III Stalag Luft III (; literally "Main Camp, Air, III"; SL III) was a ''Luftwaffe''-run prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during the Second World War, which held captured Western Allied air force personnel. The camp was established in March 1942 near th ...

, was overcrowded. About 1,000 (mostly non-commissioned) flight personnel were transferred to the prison camp at Lamsdorf (now

). The flight personnel were housed in what became a camp within a camp when a portion was sectioned off with barbed-wire fencing, and designated Stalag Luft VIII-B. Food continued to be provided from the original camp's army-administered kitchen.

Medical facilities

British and Allied surgical patients Stalag 344-E Feb 1944

The hospital facilities at Stalag VIII-B were among the best in all the

Stalag In Germany, stalag (; ) was a term used for prisoner-of-war camps. Stalag is a contraction of "Stammlager", itself short for ''Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschaftsstammlager'', literally "main camp for enlisted prisoners of war" (officers were kept i ...

s. The so-called ''Lazarett'' was set up on a separate site with eleven concrete buildings. Six of them were self-contained wards, accommodating each about 100 patients. The others served as treatment blocks with operating theaters,

X-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

and laboratory facilities, as well as kitchens, a morgue, and accommodations for the medical staff. The lazarett was headed by a German officer with the title ''Oberst Arzt'' ("Colonel Doctor"), but the staff were entirely POWs. They included general physicians and surgeons, even a neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, anesthesiologist and radiologist.

Forced marches, liberation and repatriation

In January 1945, as the Soviet armies advanced into Germany, many of the prisoners were sent on notorious forced marches, westward in groups of 200 to 300. Many deaths resulted from exposure and exhaustion. Those that encountered western Allies forces were generally repatriated immediately. For those liberated by Soviet forces, repatriation sometimes took several months longer, and often occurred through the port of

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

, in Ukraine.

Arbeitskommandos

There were more than 700 subsidiary '' Arbeitskommandos'' (working parties outside the main camp or labor camps) at various locations in present-day southern Poland and northern

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. The RC Chaplain Father John Berry said in 1943: "...there are about 600 Working Parties and .... you will be able to guess why so many of you will have not yet had a visit". Arbeitskommandos were set up to house lower ranks that were working in the coal mines, quarries, factories and on railways. Among them were: *

Siołkowice Siołkowice is the name of two villages in Poland, in the Opole Voivodeship, close to the village of Popielów. One is named Stare ("Old") Siołkowice, the other being Nowe ("New") Siołkowice. The village is known as the birthplace of Jakub K ...

(''Schalkendorf'') - work to strengthen the embankments on the Odra River (50/80 POWs) *Dzierżno (''Stauwerder''), present-day district of

Pyskowice Pyskowice () is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Outer city of the Metropolis GZM – metropolis with a population of 2 million. Located in the Silesian Highlands. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since its formati ...

*E1 in Łabędy (''Laband'') - (Lager I - Train station) - 1st work at ''Siemens-Bau-UNION'', next at Łabędy (''Laband'') ironworks (221 POWs) Huta "Łabędy" Gliwice *E2 in

Koźle Koźle () is a district of Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Poland, located in the western part of the city at the junction of the Kłodnica and Oder rivers, km southeast of Opole. The district has a Roman Catholic church, a medieval chateau, remains of a 1 ...

(''Cosel''), present day district of

Kędzierzyn-Koźle Kędzierzyn-Koźle () is a city in south-western Poland, the administrative center of Kędzierzyn-Koźle County. With 58,899 inhabitants as of 2021, it is the second most-populous city in the Opole Voivodeship. Founded from the merger of the prev ...

(102 POWs) *E3 in Blachownia Śląska (''

Blechhammer The Blechhammer (') (nowadays Blachownia Śląska, district of the City of Kędzierzyn-Koźle) area was the location of Greater German Reich chemical plants, prisoner of war camps, and forced labor camps (). Labor camp prisoners began arrivi ...

''), present day district of

at ''Oberschlesische Hydrierwerke A.G.'' *E8 in

Krapkowice Krapkowice (; ; ) is a town in southern Poland with 16,301 inhabitants (2019), situated in the Opole Voivodeship, straddling both banks of the Oder River at the point where it joins with the Osobłoga. It is the regional capital of Krapkowice Cou ...

(''Krappitz'') at a paper mill run by ''Natronzellstoff-und Papierfabriken A.G., Werk Krappitz-Zellstof u.Papierfabrik'' (Fabryka Celulozy i Papieru Natronowego w Krapkowicach) (102 POWs) *E17 in

at a cement factory *E22 in

Gliwice Gliwice (; , ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder River, Oder). It lies approximately 25 km west from Katowice, the regional capital ...

-Sośnica (''Gleiwitz-Oehrigen'') at Sośnica (''Sosnitza'') coal mine (290 POWs) (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E25 in Radoszowice (''Rauschwalde'') *E27 coal mine *E30 in

-Zakrzów (''Oppeln III (Sakrau)'') at a cement factory (''Oppeln III Portland-Zementwerke''/Cementownia "ODRA") *E31 in Smolarnia (''Pechhütte'')/

Chrzelice Chrzelice () is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Biała, within Prudnik County, Opole Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Biała, north-east of Prudnik, and south-west of the regional capital O ...

(''Schelitz'')/ Łącznik (''Lonschnik/Wiesengrund'') *E42 in Rudawa (''Rothfest'') at a paper mill run by "Rothfest Papierfabrik dr. Albert Spenner GmbH" company (Głuchołaskie Zakłady Papiernicze Zakład Rudawa) *E51 in

Zabrze Zabrze (; German: 1915–1945: , full form: , , ) is an industrial city put under direct government rule in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It lies in the western part of the Metropolis GZM, a metropolis with a population of around 2 m ...

-Mikulczyce (''Hindenburg-Klausberg (Mikultschütz)'') at Mikulczyce (''Abwehrgrube'') coal mine (533 POWs) (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E55 in Zabrze-Biskupice (''Hindenburg-Borsig'') at Pstrowski (''Hedwigs-Wunschgrube'') coal mine; Borsig-Koks-Werke *E62 in Gliwice-Sztygarów (Ligota Zabrska) (''Gleiwitz-Steigern (Ellguth-Zabrze)'') (23 POWs) (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E71 in

Nowa Ruda Nowa Ruda (, ) is a town in south-western Poland near the Czech Republic, Czech border, lying on the Włodzica river in the central Sudetes mountain range. it had 22,067 inhabitants. The town is located in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivod ...

(''Neurode'') at the Piast (''Rubengrube'') coal mine, building gym "Turnhale" and barracks, and in Drogosław (''Kunzendorf''), present-day district of Nowa Ruda *E72 in

Bytom Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital. It is one ...

(''Beuthen'') at Bytom (''Beuthengrube'') coal mine (171-204-600 POWs) *E74 in

Domecko Domecko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Komprachcice, within Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. History The village was first mentioned in the ''Liber fundationis episcopatus Vratislaviensis'' from ca. ...

(''Althaus'') *E75 in

Knurów Knurów (; ) is a city near Katowice in Silesia, southern Poland. Knurów is an outer city of the Metropolis GZM, a metropolis with a population of two million. Knurów is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bierawka River, a tributary of t ...

at the Knurów coal mine (262 POWs); 3 POWs were shot while escaping in 1944 *E88 in Wełnowiec (''Hohenlohehütte''), present-day district of

Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...

, at the Król (''König'') coal mine, "Agnieszka" (''Agneschaft'') east shaft of the Król mine in Agnieszka (''Agneshütte'') colony (177 POWs), and in

Chorzów Chorzów ( ; ; ) is a city in the Silesia region of southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central cities of the Metropolis GZM – a metropolis with a population of 2 million. It is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Rawa ...

(''Königshütte'') at Prezydent (''Königsgrube'') coal mine *E90 in Olszyniec (''Erlenbusch'') (Nieder Tannhausen) *E93 in Zakrzów (''Sakrau'') at a limestone quarry *E94 in Malnia (''Mallnie/Odergrund'') - "Emilienhoff" Vorwerk, limestone quarry, "Bata" shoe factory and construction ''Reichsautobahn'' motorway; ex-property Malnia "Emilienhof" belonged to Graf von Sponeck *E110 in Dzierżno (''Stauwerder''), present-day district of

- exploitation of aggregates (39 POWs) (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E114 in

Velké Kunětice Velké Kunětice () is a municipality and village in Jeseník District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants. Geography Velké Kunětice is located about northeast of Jeseník and north of Olomouc, on the bord ...

(''Gross Kunzendorf'') at a stone quarry and factory *E115 in Dobra (''Burgwasser''). Three POWs escaped on 18 August 1941 *E116 in

Bělá Bělá may refer to: Places in the Czech Republic *Bělá (Havlíčkův Brod District), a municipality and village in the Vysočina Region * Bělá (Opava District), a municipality and village in the Moravian-Silesian Region * Bělá (Pelhřimov Di ...

(''Bielau'') *E119 in

Mankovice Mankovice () is a municipality and village in Nový Jičín District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants. History The first written mention of Mankovice is from 1374. During World War II, the Germa ...

(''Mankendorf'') at a sawmill *E126 in

-Półwieś (''Oppeln-Halbendorf'') *E131 in

Gogolin Gogolin is a town in southern Poland, in Opole Voivodeship, in Krapkowice County. It has 6,682 inhabitants (2019). It is the seat of Gmina Gogolin. Geology and palaeontology Gogolin gives its name to the Gogolin Formation whose strata were fi ...

- Tiefbau Pollok - stone quarry *E138 in

Racibórz Racibórz (, , , ) is a city in Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the administrative seat of Racibórz County. With Opole, Racibórz is one of the historic capitals of Upper Silesia, being the residence of the Duchy of Racibórz, Du ...

(''Ratibor'') - steel works (''Schondorff Hegenscheidt Werke Ratibor'') (30 POWs), accommodation in a restaurant *E149 in Rachowice (''Buchenlust'') - forestry work (68 POWs) *E150 in Przywory (''Oderfest'') *E151 in

-Maciejów at the Ludwik-Concordia (''Concordia-grube'') coal mine, Maciej shaft (''Westschacht'') 1941-42 Gewerkschaft Castellengo-Abwehr A.G.~ Vereinigte Oberschlesische Huttenwerke AG Gleiwitz Werk Donnersmarckhutte *E152 in

Górażdże Górażdże is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gogolin, within Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately north of Gogolin, north-east of Krapkowice, and south of the regional capital Opole ...

(''Goradze/Waldenstein'') at a limestone quarry *E154 in Golina-

Pomianów Dolny Pomianów Dolny is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ziębice, within Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesian Voivodeship (, ) in southwestern Poland, is one of the 16 Voivodeships of Poland, voi ...

(''Gollendorf-Nieder Pomsdorf'') *E155 in

-Port (''Cosel-Oderhafen'') within present-day city limits of Kędzierzyn-Koźle, at the ''Siemens Papier- und Zellstofwerke Feldmuhle AG'' (Zakłady Papieru i Celulozy Kędzierzyn-Koźle) *E159 in

Domašov nad Bystřicí Domašov nad Bystřicí (; ) is a municipality and village in Olomouc District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 500 inhabitants. Geography Domašov nad Bystřicí is located about northeast of Olomouc. It lies in the Níz ...

(''Domstadtl'') at a quarry *E162 in

Zdzieszowice Zdzieszowice (; , 1936–1945: ''Odertal O.S.''; ) is a town in Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudet ...

(''Oderthal/Deschowitz'') - ''Schaffgotsch Benzin Werke GmbH Odertal'', POWs held near Odertal-Bahnhof-Hotel building *E171 in

Vápenná Vápenná (until 1949 Zighartice; ) is a municipality and village in Jeseník District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,200 inhabitants. Administrative division Vápenná consists of two municipal parts (in brackets popu ...

- ''Setzdorf III'' at Neugebauer limestone quarry (29 POWs) *E172 in Vápenná - ''Setzdorf I'' at a quarry of Alojs Rösner (20 POWs) *E173 in Vápenná - ''Setzdorf II'' at a quarry of Anton Latzel (60 POWs) *E183 in

Bierutów Bierutów () is a town in Oleśnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Bierutów. The town lies approximately south-east of Oleśnica, and east of the ...

(''Bernstadt''), probably at a sugar factory (''Zuckerfabrik Bernstadt'') *E191 in Steblów (''Stöblau'') *E195 in Kopalina (''Roding/Kopaline''), today part of the village of

Ścigów Ścigów (German: Schiegau) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Strzeleczki, within Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies approximately west of Strzeleczki, west of Krapkowice, and south of the ...

*E196 Opoleonoora - cement factory *E198 in Słupiec (''Schlegel''), present-day district of

, at the Słupiec (Jan Baptysta/Jan - Nowa Ruda - ''Johann Baptista-Grube'') coal mine *E199 in

Wałbrzych Wałbrzych (; ; or ''Walmbrich''; or ) is a city located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland, seat of Wałbrzych County. Wałbrzych lies approximately southwest of the voivodeship capital Wrocław and about from the Czec ...

(''Waldenburg'') at a glass factory in the Biały Kamień district (''Weißstein Glashüttenwerk Weihrauch & Zimmer'') *E201 in Dzierżysław (''Dirschel'') at a gypsum mine *E203 in Opole, cement works *E209 in Bobrek, present-day district of

, at the Józef shaft of the Bobrek coal mine (''Gräfin Johanna Schacht'') (111/141 POWs) (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E211 in

Trzebnica Trzebnica (Polish pronunciation: ; , ) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in west-central Poland. It is the seat of Trzebnica County, and of the smaller administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Trzebnica. It lies within the eastern Trzebni ...

(''Trebnitz''), railway work *E218 in

Pławniowice Pławniowice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Rudziniec, within Gliwice County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Bal ...

(''Flössingen'') - 17 POWs worked the estate of Count von Ballestrem *E234 in Czerna (''Tonhain/Tschirne'') at a brickyard *E243 in

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

(''Breslau'') at municipal gasworks in the Tarnogaj (''Dürrgoy'') district ("Städtische Gasanstalt Dürrgoy") *E247 in

Głubczyce Głubczyce ( or sparsely ''Glubčice'', or ''Gubczycy'', ) is a town in Opole Voivodeship in south-western Poland, near the border with the Czech Republic. It is the administrative seat of Głubczyce County and Gmina Głubczyce. Geography Głu ...

(''Leobschütz'') *E253 in

Polska Cerekiew Polska Cerekiew () is a village in Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Polska Cerekiew. It lies approximately south of Kędzierzyn-Koźle and so ...

(''Neukirch'') *E255 in

Twardawa Twardawa is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Głogówek, in Prudnik County, Opole Voivodeship, in southern Poland, near the Czech border. It lies approximately east of Głogówek, east of Prudnik, and south of the regional capi ...

(''Hartenau'') at a sawmill *E256 in

Zlaté Hory Zlaté Hory (; until 1948 Cukmantl; ) is a town in Jeseník District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,700 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone. Administrativ ...

(''Zuckmantel'') *E265 in Kolonowskie (''Grafenweiler'') at "Kartonagenfabrik Colonnowska GmbH" *E267 in

Baborów Baborów (; ) is a town in Gmina Baborów, Głubczyce County, Opole Voivodeship, south-western Poland. The town has an area of , and as of June 2022 it has a population of 2,852. Baborów lies on the river . History The first mention of the town ...

(''Bauerwitz'') at a sugar beet factory (64 POWs) *E268 in Muszczyna (''Moschendorf'') near

Złotoryja Złotoryja (; , ; Latin: ''Aureus Mons'', ''Aurum'') is a historic town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in southwestern Poland, the administrative seat of Złotoryja County, and of the smaller Gmina Złotoryja. Złotoryja is the first town in Pola ...

(Stalag VIII-A Görlitz) *E276 in

Otmuchów Otmuchów (pronounced: ; ) is a town in Nysa County, Opole Voivodeship, in southern Poland, with 6,581 inhabitants (2019). Etymology The city was mentioned for the first time as ''Otemochow'' in 1155. It was named in its Old Polish form ''Othmucho ...

(''Ottmachau'') at a sugar beet factory *E283 in Racibórz (''Ratibor'') at a sugar mill *E287 in Polska Cerekiew (''Neukirch'') *E288 in Baborów (''Bauerwitz'') *E291 in Radzikowice (''Stephansdorf'') *E294 in Radzikowice (''Stephansdorf'') at a sugar beet factory *E297 in Starenhiem Markat Gardening. *E303 in Pietrzykowice (''Petersweiler'') at a sugar beet factory *E324 in

Dębieńsko Dębieńsko () is a dzielnica (district) of Czerwionka-Leszczyny, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It was an independent village, but became administratively part of Leszczyny in 1977, renamed to Czerwionka-Leszczyny in 1992. It has an area o ...

(''Gross Dubrnsko''), present-day district of

Czerwionka-Leszczyny Czerwionka-Leszczyny () is a town in Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the only town in Rybnik County, Rybnik county (which is separate from Rybnik city) and the seat of the larger Gmina Czerwionka-Leszczyny, Czerwionka-Leszczyny muni ...

- 25 POWs worked in private estates (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E330 in

Tuły Tuły () is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Lasowice Wielkie, within Kluczbork County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies approximately south of Kluczbork and north-east of the regional capital Opole. Histor ...

(''Thule'') *E332 in

Rudziniec Rudziniec is a village in Gliwice County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Rudziniec. It lies approximately north-west of Gliwice and west of the regional capital Katowi ...

(''Rudgershagen'') - 37 POWs worked in private estates; (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E341 in

Żyrowa Żyrowa is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zdzieszowice, within Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately north of Zdzieszowice, east of Krapkowice, and south-east of the regional capit ...

(''Zyrowa/Buchenhöh'') - 25 POWs *E354 in

Krnov Krnov (; , or ''Krnów'') is a town in Bruntál District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Krnov consists of three municipal parts (in brackets population according to ...

(''Jägerndorf'') at a saw mill and timber goods factory *E363 in Kuźnia Raciborska (''Ratiborhammer'') -1940-43Eng POW(80), "Schondorff-Hegenscheidt Werke" ("RAFAMET") factory making aircraft parts *E364 in

Niemysłowice Niemysłowice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Prudnik, within Prudnik County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, close to the Czech border. It lies approximately north-west of Prudnik and south-west of the regional ...

(''Buchelsdorf'') at a saw mill *E365 in

Strzelce Opolskie Strzelce Opolskie () is a town in southern Poland with 17,900 inhabitants (2019), situated in the Opole Voivodeship. It is the capital of Strzelce County. Etymology The name of the town is of Polish origin and comes from the old Polish word ''s ...

(''Gross Strehlitz'') at a lime quarry (150 POWs) *E371 in

Głuchołazy Głuchołazy ( ; , also known by other names) is a historic town in southwestern Poland with approximately 13,534 inhabitants as of 2019. It is located within the Nysa County of Opole Voivodeship (province), near the border with the Czech Republic ...

(''Ziegenhals'') at a furniture factory (''Pantke und Scheitza'') *E373 in Vlaské (''Blaschke''), Czech Republic at a sawmill *E389 in

(''Rudgershagen'') at a sawmill "Sägewerk" (15 POWs) (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E393 in Łaziska Średnie (''Mittel-Lazisk''), present-day district of

Łaziska Górne Łaziska Górne (, ) is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Outer town of the Metropolis GZM – metropolis with a population of 2 million. Located in the Silesian Highlands. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since its f ...

, at a power station (158 POWs); (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E399 Sudetenland Cardboard Factory *E406 in

Zátor Zátor () is a municipality and village in Bruntál District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,100 inhabitants. Administrative division Zátor consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to ...

(''Seifersdorf'') at a brickyard *E411 in

Szombierki Szombierki () is a Bytom#Districts, district of Bytom, Poland, located in the southern part of the city. Szombierki Heat Power Station and Szombierki Coal Mine (KWK Szombierki), both recognized as important historical and industrial monuments, a ...

(''Schönberg''), present-day district of

, at the

Szombierki Coal Mine Szombierki Coal Mine is a former coal mine in Szombierki, Bytom, Poland. It was created in 1870 from several smaller coal fields. From mid-1990s it began to be closed down. In 2004 its winding tower "Krystyna" (formerly Kaiser Wilhelm) was adde ...

(''Hohenzollerngrube'') (38 POWs), (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E414 in Brzezie (''Hohenbirken''), present-day district of

, at a saw mill in Lukasyna/Dębicz (''Lukasine'') *E415 in Brzezie (''Hohenbirken''), present-day district of Racibórz, at a tile factory in Lukasyna/Dębicz (''Lukasine'') *E419 in

-Groszowice (''Oppeln Groschowitz'') at a cement factory of the ''Schlesiche Portland Zement-Industrie A.G. Oppeln'' company, which in 1941 was taken over by the ''Verenigte Ost und Mitteldeutsche Zement Aktiengesellschaft'' company *E428 in Suchy Bór (''Derschau'') at a sawmill (2nd owner was Berthold Winkler; 34 POWs) *E431 in Dolní Teplice (''Unter-Weckelsdorf''), present-day district of

Teplice nad Metují Teplice nad Metují (; ) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,600 inhabitants. Administrative division Teplice nad Metují consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population accor ...

*E446 in

(''Zuckmantel'') - 11 POWs worked at "Śliweczka" sawmill. Accommodation in the sawmill area. *E456 in Kałków (''Kalkau'') - fortifications works (60 POWs) *E460 building railway bridge *E478 in

Toszek Toszek () is a small town in southern Poland. It is situated within Gliwice County in the Silesian Voivodeship (province), and its population was estimated at 3,600 inhabitants in 2019. It is situated on the Toszecki Potok River, a tributary of K� ...

(''Tost'') at a sawmill (20 POWs); Oflag VIII-D Tost; Oflag 6& Ilag A/H POW(1249-military&civilians), buildings hospital -''Provinzial–Heil- und Pflegeanstalt (Anstalt)'' *E479 in

Tarnowskie Góry Tarnowskie Góry (; ; ) is a city in Silesia, southern Poland, located in the Silesian Highlands near Katowice and seat city of Tarnowskie Góry County Located in the north of the Metropolis GZM, a megalopolis (city type), megalopolis, the great ...

(''Tarnowitz'') - 207 POWs railway work *E484 in Nysa (''Neisse'') - labouring *E486 in Nysa (''Neisse'') - labouring *E490 in

(''Beuthen'') - 32 POWs at the railway building (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E494 in

- 52 POWs railway transport at Gliwice Wschodnie (Sośnica) (''Gleiwitz Ost'') station, (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E508 in

Siemianowice Śląskie Siemianowice Śląskie (; ; ) also known as Siemianowice is a city in Upper Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice, in the core of the Metropolis GZM - a metropolis with a population of 2 million people and is located in the Silesian Highlands, ...

(''Siemianowitz-Laurahütte'') - production of anti-aircraft artillery in the Laura mill (huta "Jedność"; ''Hütte "Laura" Berghütte Königs- und Bismarckhütte AG Rheinmetall-Borsig'') *E532 in Radzikowice (''Stephansdorf'') *E535 in

Sosnowiec Sosnowiec is an industrial city county in the Dąbrowa Basin of southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, which is also part of the Metropolis GZM municipal association.—— Located in the eastern part of the Upper Silesian Industrial Re ...

(''Sosnowitz'') West - - 500 POWs at the Milowice (''Milwitzgrube'') coal mine, 6 barracks *E538 in Sosnowiec-Sielec (''Sosnowitz-Sielz'') - 526 POWs at the Hrabia Renard coal mine (''Grad Renad Grube''), barracks on Rzeźnicza street) (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E542 in Łącza (''Föhrengrund'') *E543 in

Dąbrowa Górnicza Dąbrowa Górnicza () is a city in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie, southern Poland, near Katowice and Sosnowiec. It is located in eastern part of the Silesian Voivodeship, on the Czarna Przemsza and Biała Przemsza rivers (tributaries of the Vistula Rive ...

(''Dombrowa'') - 423 POWs at the Paryż (''Paris'') coal mine, 8 barracks at the wood yard of the Koszelew coal mine (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E548 in Piasek (''Sandau'') *E550 in Brzezie (''Hohenbirken''), present-day district of

, at a tannery in Lukasyna/Dębicz (''Lukasine'') *E552 in

(''Hindenburg'') 40 POWs at the firm of Karl Anton at Philipstr *E560 in

Turawa Turawa is a village in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) of Gmina Turawa. It is approximately northeast of the regional capital Opole. History Though the village's origins ...

at a sawmill of Graf von Garnier *E561 in

Jaworzno Jaworzno is a City with powiat rights, city county in southern Poland in the Silesian Voivodeship, near Katowice. It lies in the Silesian Highlands, on the Przemsza river (a tributary of the Vistula River, Vistula). Jaworzno belongs to Lesser Pol ...

(''Tarnowitz'') at a railway depot loading and unloading trains *E562 in

Libiąż Libiąż is a town in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 17,671 inhabitants (2004). Location Libiąż is located in the eastern part of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, Upper Silesian Industrial District. It belongs to ...

250 POWS at the Janina Coal Mine (''Johanna/Gute Hoffnung'') *E563 in Bory Jeleń-

at the Bory (''Robertgrube'') coal mine (157 POWs); and Jaworzno-Bory at the Sobieski Coal Mine *E565 in Siersza Wodna, present-day district of

Trzebinia Trzebinia (; ''Tchebin'') is a town in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland, Poland with an Orlen oil refinery and a major rail junction of the Kraków - Katowice line, with connections to Oświęcim and Spytkowice. The town became part of Lesser Pola ...

, 120 POWS at the Artur (''Arthurgrube'') coal mine *E571 in Grudzice (''Gruden''), present-day district of Opole, at the forestry department *E578 in

(''Peiskretscham'') *E579 in Niwka, present-day district of

- 600/1,000 POWs at stalag called "Pawiak", 8 barracks, Modrzejów (''Modrowgrube'') coal mine ("Theodor Körner" Preussag) *E580 in

Czeladź Czeladź () is a town in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie (part of historic Lesser Poland), in southern Poland, near Katowice and Sosnowiec. Located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Brynica river (tributary of the Vistula), it is the oldest urban center ...

at the Saturn coal mine, 8 barracks at Węglowa Street, 352 POWs (British paratroopers); (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E585 in ''Jagerndorf'' at a brickyard *E586 in Kazimierz, present-day district of Sosnowiec, at the Kazimierz/Juliusz (''Juliusgrube'') coal mine, POWs held in a school building at Ligonia 3a street in Pekin-Porąbka *E587 in Czeladź-Piaski at the Czeladź coal mine (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E593 in

(''Schönberg''), present-day district of Bytom - (416 POW at the Szombierki Coal Mine (''Hohenzollerngrube'') (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E594 in

(''Königshütte Ost'') - 197 POWs at a nitrogen plant - Górnośląskie Zakłady Azotowe (''Oberschlesische Stickstoffwerke'') (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E596 in

- ''Dachs'' - Piłsudski (''Friedrich-August grube'') 245/400 POWs at coal mine *E600 in

Głogówek Głogówek (, , , ) is a small historic town in southern Poland. It is situated on the Osobloga River, in Opole Voivodeship of the greater Silesian region. The city lies approximately from Opole, the capital of the voivodeship, and is about fro ...

(''Oberglogau'') at a sugar factory - Cukrownia Głogówek (''Hotzenplotzer Zuckerfabrik'') *E603 in

(''Hindenburg'') at a rolling mill "Walzmühle-Tänzer" (31 POWs); (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E604 in Bukowo (''Georgenwerk'') - 10 POWs at forestry work *E608 in Kaniów (''Hirschfelde'') - 50 POWs at forestry and agricultural works. In 1942, 2 POWs were shot for refusing to work. *E701 in Czułów (''Czulow''), present-day district of

Tychy Tychy (Polish pronunciation: ; ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, approximately south of Katowice. Situated on the southern edge of the Upper Silesian industrial district, the city borders Katowice to the north, Mikołów to the west, Bie ...

- at a paper factory (''Zellulose und Papierfabrik'') *E702 in Klimontów, present-day district of Sosnowiec, at the Klimontów (''Bismarck'') coal mine, *E703 in Popielów (''Poppelau'') at a sawmill *E704 in Sukowice/ Zakrzów (''Rosengrund'') *E706 in Zabrze-Biskupice (''Hindenburg-Biskupitz'') at firm "Borsig-Kokswerke AG" and "Szczęście Ludwika" (''Ludwigsglück'') coal mine (36 POWs) *E707 in

(''Sosnowitz'') - 119 British POWs worked in area of the city (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E708 in Łabędy (''Laband''), present-day district of Gliwice - construction of railway track (101 POWs); "Baugesellschaft Kahlenbach" (64 POWs), "Vereinigte Deutsche Nickelwerke AG" (37 POWs) *E711 in

Bierawa Bierawa ( ) is a village in Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Bierawa. It lies approximately south-east of Kędzierzyn-Koźle and south-east ...

(''Reigersfeld'') at a chemical plant of

IG Farben I. G. Farbenindustrie AG, commonly known as IG Farben, was a German Chemical industry, chemical and Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical conglomerate (company), conglomerate. It was formed on December 2, 1925 from a merger of six chemical co ...

company (246 POWs) *E711A in

at a chemical plant at Heydebreck *E714 in Blachownia Śląska (''

''), present day district of Kędzierzyn-Koźle - BAB21, BAB48 (Bau Arbeit Bataillon) from 1942 to November 1944 (550/600 POWs), both battalions merged into one battalion in March 1943 (1,100 POWs) *E715 in Monowice at the

chemical factory. Set up in September 1943, housed about 1,200 POWs, mostly British. *E719 in Gliwice-Sztygarów (Ligota Zabrska) (''Gleiwitz-Steigern (Ellguth Zabrze)'') at ''Reichswerke Hermann Göring'' (290 POWs) (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E721 in Kałków- Łąka (''Kalkau-Wiesau'') at a sugar factory ''Zuckerfabrik Ottmachau'' *E724 in

Świętochłowice Świętochłowice (; ; ) is a city with powiat rights in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is also one of the central cities of the Metropolis GZM, with a population of 2 million, and is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Rawa ...

(''Schwientochlowitz'') - 198 POWs at smelter "Florian" (''Falvahütte'') *E725 in

at the Batory smelter (''Bismarckhütte'') - 268 POWs (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E727 in Miechowice (''Mechtal''), present-day district of Bytom - 346 POWs at a power station (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E728 in

Nový Bohumín Nový Bohumín (; , lit. 'New Bohumín') is a municipal part of the town of Bohumín in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population of 12,420 as of 2024. History It is the newest part of today's t ...

(''Neu Oderberg''), present-day part of

Bohumín Bohumín (; , ) is a town in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Bohumín consists of seven municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 202 ...

*E732 in

Szczakowa Szczakowa is a district of the Polish city of Jaworzno. It is located in the northern part of the city and is one of the most important rail hubs of the area. It was first mentioned in 1427 as ''Sczacowa''. In the years 1933–1956, it was a sep ...

(''Schakowa''), present-day district of

- 152 POWs working on railway embankments *E734 in

Szopienice Szopienice-Burowiec () is a district of Katowice, Poland, located in the north-eastern part of the city. It has an area of 8.47 km2 and in 2007 had 17,139 inhabitants. The area of a district encompasses two historically important settlement ...

(''Schoppintiz''), present-day district of

*E737 in Fosowskie (''Vosswalde''), present-day district of Kolonowskie - ''Chemische Fabrik Vosswalde'' produced charcoal, which was bagged and sent out by rail, and its by-product of wood alcohol. *E738 in Trzebinia at a refinery managed by ''Erdöl Raffinerie Gmbh'' - 200-300 POWs, (Stalag VIII-B Teschen). The refinery was bombed and destroyed by the Allied air force on 7 August 1944 *E739 in Zielona (''Grunkolonie''), present-day district of Dąbrowa Górnicza, at Bankowa (''Bankhütte'') Steel and Ironworks at Zielona Street (152 POWs) (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E740 in

Kobiór Kobiór () is a village in Pszczyna County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Kobiór. It lies approximately north of Pszczyna and south of the regional capital Katowice ...

(''Kobier'') - 84 POWs at an ammunition depot (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E742 in

(''Ober Lazisk'') - 124/150 POWs at ''Electrowerke'' factory, 2 barracks in the Kopania colony in Łaziska Górne *E744 in Kazimierz Górniczy, present-day district of Sosnowiec, at the Kazimierz-Juliusz (''Kasimir-Julius/Kasimirgrube'') coal mine (497/800 POWs), barracks near Brunona Jasieńskiego street. *E746 in Chorzów (''Königshütte'') - 601 POWs work in construction (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E748 in Bobrek, present-day district of Bytom - 48 POWs at the railway (XII - 1943 - Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E749 in Pyskowice (''Peiskretscham'') 187 POWs at the railway (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E750 in

(''Kattowitz'') - 66 POWs at Huta Baildon (''Baildonhütte'') *E753 in Sierakowice (''Graumannsdorf/Schierakowitz'') - 21 POWs work in forestry *E754 in Czeladź - 252 POWs at Mars coal mine (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E755 in Wojkowice Komorne (''Wojkowitz Komorne''), now

Wojkowice Wojkowice () is a small town in województwo śląskie, located in so-called Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland, near Katowice. Wojkowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Brynica river (tributary of the Vistula), and historical ...

, at the Jupiter coal mine, Saturn cement mill (UK RAF, French and Italian POWs). Stalag was located in the area of today's Wojkowice prison. *E756 in

Radzionków Radzionków (; , ) is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Outer town of the Metropolis GZM – metropolis with a population of 2 million. Located in the Silesian Highlands. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since its form ...

(''Radzionkau'') - (155 POWs at Radzionków coal mine (''Radzionkaugrube''), barracks located at the mine (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E757 in Kalety (''Stahlhammer'') - 60 POWs at a paper factory (''Zellstoff und Papierfabrik Natronag AG''/Fabryka Celulozy i Papieru Natronag S.A.), the building of the factory nursery served as a POW camp; in

Chebzie Chebzie () is a district in the east of Ruda Śląska, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has an area of 1.7 km2 and was inhabited by 1,101 people. History The settlement evolved around an inn built in the late 18th century. As ''H ...

(''Morgenroth''), present-day district of

Ruda Śląska Ruda Śląska (; ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is a city in the Metropolis GZM, a metropolis with a population of two million. It is in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica River (tributary of the Oder). It h ...

at a zinc smelter, and in Janów, present-day district of Katowice at a coal mine (Jutrzenka/Wieczorek?) *E758 in Knurów - 169 POWs at Dworcowa street, 2 buildings) *E759 in Gliwice (''Gleiwitz'') - 49 POWs worked in public transport (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E760 in Bobrek, present-day district of Bytom - 58 POWs work for the Narrow-Gauge Railway Authority (XII - 1943 Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E761 in Bobrek, present-day district of Bytom - 17 POWs transport (XII - 1943 Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E762 in Bobrek, present-day district of Bytom - 10 POWs at a concrete factory (''Beton u.Monierbetrieb'') (XII - 1943 Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E770 in Otmęt (''Ottmuth''), present-day district of

, at the Bata shoe factory (''OTA – Schlesische Schuhwerke Ottmuth A.G.''/Śląskie Zakłady Przemysłu Skórzanego „Otmęt”) *E778 in

Skorogoszcz Skorogoszcz is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Lewin Brzeski, within Brzeg County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies approximately east of Lewin Brzeski, south-east of Brzeg, and north-west of the regional ca ...

(''Schurgast'') - POW works in a field hospital "SS LAZARET" *E782 in Kuźnia Raciborska (''Ratiborhammer''), est. 11 July 1944 *E794 in Kędzierzyn (''Heydebreck''), present-day district of

- BAB20, BAB40 (Bau Arbeit Bataillon) from 1942 to November 1944 (550/600 POWs), both battalions merged into one battalion in March 1943 (1,100/1,180 POWs) *E795 in Burgrabice (''Borkendorf'') at ''Landesflussbauamt Neisse''/Krajowy Urząd Robót Wodnych "Nysa" *E798 in Grodziec (''Friedrichsgrätz'') - forestry work (Stalag VIII-B Teschen/Czeski Cieszyn) *E799 in

Krasiejów Krasiejów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ozimek, within Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies approximately east of Ozimek and east of the regional capital Opole. Paleontological localities ...

(''Schönhorst'') - forestry work *E800 in Kłodnica (''Klodnitz''), present-day district of Kędzierzyn-Koźle - work in forestry *E902 in Zabrze (''Hindenburg'') - 460 POWs at the Makoszowy coal mine (''Delbrückschachte'') (Stalag VIII-B Teschen) *E902 coal mine *E22050 gas works transport

British POWs at Auschwitz

E715 was a POW camp for British prisoners which was administered and guarded by soldiers from

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

because it was a subcamp of Stalag VIII-B camp. However, as it was attached to the

Monowitz concentration camp Monowitz (also known as Monowitz-Buna, Buna and Auschwitz III) was a Nazi concentration camp and labor camp (''Arbeitslager'') run by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland from 1942–1945, during World War II and the Holocaust. For most of its existe ...

(codenamed Buna after the

synthetic rubber A synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer. They are polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts. About of rubber is produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic. Synthetic rubber, just like natural ru ...

it made) which was one of the 28 sub-camps under the control of

Auschwitz III Monowitz (also known as Monowitz-Buna, Buna and Auschwitz III) was a Nazi concentration camp and labor camp (''Arbeitslager'') run by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland from 1942–1945, during World War II and the Holocaust. For most of its existe ...

, the SS had effective control. E715 was next to the I.G. Farben chemical plant just a few hundred meters away from the entrance to Monowitz. The first 200 British POWs arrived at Auschwitz in September 1943 but over the winter of 1943 another 1,400 British POWs (mostly captured in

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

) were transported to E715. Between February and March 1944, 800 were transferred to camps at

and Heydebreck-Cosel in Germany. After that, British POWs numbers remained approximately 600 for the remainder of the war. Most POWs were put to work in machine shops making pipes and repairing chemical plant equipment. POWs regularly bore witness to the atrocities occurring at Monowitz because the SS made no attempt to conceal their brutality; the Allied POWs routinely saw inmates from the Arbeitslagers being hanged, pushed off buildings, fatally beaten and shot. Some POWs made contact with concentration camp inmates and passed on information about the war's progress that had been acquired using secret radios in the POW camp. Sergeant Charles Coward even managed to pass intelligence about the atrocities occurring at Monowitz through letters to the British War Office. This led to representatives from the

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

making two visits to E715 in the summer 1944. With the start of the Soviet Vistula–Oder Offensive in January 1945, Auschwitz was evacuated by the SS. The Wehrmacht closed POW camp E715 on January 21, 1945 forcing the British POWs to undertake a forced march to

Moosburg Moosburg an der Isar ( Central Bavarian: ''Mooschbuag on da Isa'') is a town in the ''Landkreis'' Freising of Bavaria, Germany. The oldest town between Regensburg and Italy lies on the river Isar at an altitude of 421 m (1381 ft). It ...

in Germany. Three days earlier, the inmates of Monowitz had been sent on their own death march to

Gleiwitz Gliwice (; , ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. The city is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica river (a tributary of the Oder River, Oder). It lies approximately 25 km west from Katowice, the regional capital ...

near the Czech border where they boarded trains to

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (Old Reich) territori ...

in Germany and

Mauthausen Mauthausen was a German Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen (roughly east of Linz), Upper Austria. It was the main camp of a group with nearly 100 further subcamps located throughout Austria and southern ...

in Austria. Although the British POWs received better treatment than the concentration camp prisoners, they only received slightly more food. In April 1945, the British POWs at Auschwitz were liberated by the U.S. Army at Stalag VII A in Moosburg. Sgt. Charles Coward testified about what he saw at Monowitz at the

IG Farben Trial ''The United States of America vs. Carl Krauch, et al.'', also known as the IG Farben Trial, was the sixth of the twelve trials for war crimes the U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone in Germany (Nuremberg) after the end of World War I ...

during the

Nuremberg trials #REDIRECT Nuremberg trials {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from move ...

I made it a point to get one of the guards to take me to town under the pretense of buying new razor blades and stuff for our boys. For a few cigarettes he pointed out to me the various places where they had the gas chambers and the places where they took them down to be cremated. Everyone to whom I spoke gave the same story - the people in the city of Auschwitz, the SS men, concentration camp inmates, foreign workers - everyone said that thousands of people were being gassed and cremated at Auschwitz, and that the inmates who worked with us and who were unable to continue working because of their physical condition and were suddenly missing, had been sent to the gas chambers. The inmates who were selected to be gassed went through the procedure of preparing for a bath, they stripped their clothes off, and walked into the bathing room. Instead of showers, there was gas. All the camp knew it. All the civilian population knew it. I mixed with the civilian population at Auschwitz. I was at Auschwitz nearly every day ... Nobody could live in Auschwitz and work in the plant, or even come down to the plant without knowing what was common knowledge to everybody.
Even while still at Auschwitz we got radio broadcasts from the outside speaking about the gassings and burnings at Auschwitz. I recall one of these broadcasts was by Anthony Eden himself. Also, there were pamphlets dropped in Auschwitz and the surrounding territory, one of which I personally read, which related what was going on in the camp at Auschwitz. These leaflets were scattered all over the countryside and must have been dropped from planes. They were in Polish and German. Under those circumstances, nobody could be at or near Auschwitz without knowing what was going on.Affidavit Copy of Document NI-11696, Prosecution Exhibit 1462, Nuremberg Trials

In 1998, Arthur Dodd, a former British POW from Camp E715, published ''Spectator In Hell'', a book about his time imprisoned at Monowitz.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography
New Zealand On-line history

Camps in Silesia
* History of the Lamsdorf camps (1870, World War I, World War II Stalag 344/VIII-B, Stalag 318/VIII-F and post-war German camp) and the Blechhammer camps

External links

* * * * * * * * * * {{Authority control World War II prisoner-of-war camps in Germany World War II sites in Poland