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POW
CAMPS IN NAZI GERMANY
Prisoner of War (POW) camps in Nazi Germany
housed tens of thousands of American, Russian, British and other Allied
troops throughout World War II. Stalag
Luft, Stalag Luft III, Stalag Luft III, Stalag Luft IV, Stalag IIB are just
a few of these Nazi POW camps. Those
men who were not officers spent the majority of their time at work camps and
had little free time, for the most part.
To occupy their time, officer POWs, however, drew and painted many
pictures while being in the POW camps.
They wrote poems and stories, put on plays, and played sports in
their free time. The records of
these activities give us a good portrait of what life was like being a POW,
and what they went through while being imprisoned. Understanding
these primary resources can effectively expand our larger understanding of
WW II. And, they can lead us to
examine many different issues. These
are just a few of the possibilities:
-What is the Geneva Convention and how did it affect the treatment
of POWs?
-The Geneva Convention is still in place today as the guide for POW
treatment. Based on what these POWs experienced, is it adequate
to insure fair treatment of war prisoners or does it need to be
updated
and changed? -What countries have signed the Geneva Convention and
which have not? -How does that impact our expectations for POW
treatment in parts of the world that are experiencing war or war-like
situations today?
-What elements of human character make it easier/more difficult to
survive as a POW? What
advance training/preparation can our
military give its members to enable them to better cope if taken
prisoners? Jonathan
Alt of Des Moines’ Drake University created this lesson (© March 2004). It
may be reproduced or modified for educational purposes. |
