Mühlberg - Stalag IV B Prisoner of War Camp Memorial

Memorials of recent German history
0 Ratings of 5 (0)
0
0
0
0
0
How did you like your stay? You have already rated your stay.
From €
Show availability & price

p.P. = per person, p.P./N = per person / night, p.E./N = per unit / night, EZ = Single room, DZ = double room, FeWo = holiday home, App. = apartment, Suite = suite, FR = Breakfast, HP = half board, VP = full board
“Mühlberg, a name that has been etched in my memory […]. A huge sandy plain, a dreadful, sad, gloomy sight, without any vegetation.” this is how the French Nobel Laureate in Literature Claude Simon described his first impression of Camp Mühlberg, where he was taken after his capture in France at the end of May 1940. A large prisoner of war camp (Stalag IV B) was built after the beginning of the Second World War near the small town on the River Elbe, which then belonged to the province of Saxony. After nearly 30,000 Poles had been crammed into tents in the First World War, a shanty town was established from 1940, in which an average of 20,000 prisoners of war were imprisoned. The number of British and American prisoners of war rose sharply from 1943 onwards. While the camp leaders treated these and other Western Europeans according to international standards for prisoners of war, the mass death of Soviet soldiers was knowingly accepted due to epidemics and malnutrition.
Continue readingcollapse
  • Mahnmal Neubruxdorf, Foto: Archivbestand Initiativgruppe Lager Mühlberg e.V.
  • Gräberfeld, Foto: Archivbestand Initiativgruppe Lager Mühlberg e.V.
  • Stelen, Foto: Archivbestand Initiativgruppe Lager Mühlberg e.V.
  • Gedenktafeln, Foto: Archivbestand Initiativgruppe Lager Mühlberg e.V.
Unlike Claude Simon, who was able to flee at the end of 1940, many of his countrymen only returned home after five years in captivity as prisoners of war. After the liberated camp was used by the Soviet intelligence service in 1945 for several months to intercept repatriated prisoners of war and forced labourers, it served as Special Camp No. 1 from September 1945. Around 22,000 Germans were imprisoned, who were accused not only of Nazi crimes but also of resistance to the occupying power, were imprisoned there by 1948. Due to the catastrophic conditions of imprisonment, one third of those interned in Mühlberg died.

Those who died in the prisoner of war camp are remembered by a memorial that was built back in November 1944 by French prisoners in the cemetery at Neuburxdorf. After the special burial ground at the Special Camp was deliberately concealed from 1948, a memorial site was created after 1990 with the names of the dead. The Museum Mühlberg focuses on the history of the site.

Literature:
  • Achim Kilian, Mühlberg 1939-1948. Ein Gefangenenlager mitten in Deutschland, Köln 2001.
  • Elisabeth Schuster (Hg.), Reite Schritt, Schnitter Tod! Leben und Sterben im Speziallager Nr. 1 des NKWD Mühlberg/Elbe, Kassel 2005
Continue readingcollapse
“Mühlberg, a name that has been etched in my memory […]. A huge sandy plain, a dreadful, sad, gloomy sight, without any vegetation.” this is how the French Nobel Laureate in Literature Claude Simon described his first impression of Camp Mühlberg, where he was taken after his capture in France at the end of May 1940. A large prisoner of war camp (Stalag IV B) was built after the beginning of the Second World War near the small town on the River Elbe, which then belonged to the province of Saxony. After nearly 30,000 Poles had been crammed into tents in the First World War, a shanty town was established from 1940, in which an average of 20,000 prisoners of war were imprisoned. The number of British and American prisoners of war rose sharply from 1943 onwards. While the camp leaders treated these and other Western Europeans according to international standards for prisoners of war, the mass death of Soviet soldiers was knowingly accepted due to epidemics and malnutrition.
Continue readingcollapse
  • Mahnmal Neubruxdorf, Foto: Archivbestand Initiativgruppe Lager Mühlberg e.V.
  • Gräberfeld, Foto: Archivbestand Initiativgruppe Lager Mühlberg e.V.
  • Stelen, Foto: Archivbestand Initiativgruppe Lager Mühlberg e.V.
Unlike Claude Simon, who was able to flee at the end of 1940, many of his countrymen only returned home after five years in captivity as prisoners of war. After the liberated camp was used by the Soviet intelligence service in 1945 for several months to intercept repatriated prisoners of war and forced labourers, it served as Special Camp No. 1 from September 1945. Around 22,000 Germans were imprisoned, who were accused not only of Nazi crimes but also of resistance to the occupying power, were imprisoned there by 1948. Due to the catastrophic conditions of imprisonment, one third of those interned in Mühlberg died.

Those who died in the prisoner of war camp are remembered by a memorial that was built back in November 1944 by French prisoners in the cemetery at Neuburxdorf. After the special burial ground at the Special Camp was deliberately concealed from 1948, a memorial site was created after 1990 with the names of the dead. The Museum Mühlberg focuses on the history of the site.

Literature:
  • Achim Kilian, Mühlberg 1939-1948. Ein Gefangenenlager mitten in Deutschland, Köln 2001.
  • Elisabeth Schuster (Hg.), Reite Schritt, Schnitter Tod! Leben und Sterben im Speziallager Nr. 1 des NKWD Mühlberg/Elbe, Kassel 2005
Continue readingcollapse

Arrival planner

L671

04931 Bad Liebenwerda

Weather Today, 14. 10.

8 13
overcast clouds

  • Tuesday
    6 14
  • Wednesday
    7 16

Tourist information

Tourismusverband Elbe-Elster-Land e.V.

Schlossplatz 1
03253 Doberlug-Kirchhain

Tel.: +49 (0) 35322-6888516
Fax: +49 (0) 35322-6888518

Weather Today, 14. 10.

8 13
overcast clouds

  • Tuesday
    6 14
  • Wednesday
    7 16

All information, times and prices are regularly checked and updated. Nevertheless, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the data. We recommend that you inquire about the current status by phone / e-mail or via the provider's website before your visit.

+49(0)331 2004747​ We are available for you via telephone: weekdays Mon – Fri 9 am – 1 pm and Oct. 31 from 9 am – 1 pm.

Thank you for your enquiry!

In case your enquiry did not result in a booking, we will be getting in touch with you as quickly as possible during our service hours from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

We are also glad to answer all of your questions surrounding the State of Brandenburg at (+49)(0)331- 200 47 47. Please send us an e-mail at service@reiseland-brandenburg.de.

Your information and travel agency service Brandenburg

Your request was not successful!

Please try again later. Thank you.

Your information and travel agency service Brandenburg

Online booking


Thank you for visiting www.brandenburg-tourism.com

This website has been developed with the latest technology. Unfortunately, you are using a browser that does not meet the latest technical requirements.

We therefore ask you to use an alternative browser (E.g. Google Chrome, Firefox or Edge) and we hope you enjoy browsing our website.