Nazi Germany operated around 1,000 prisoner-of-war camps ( German: Kriegsgefangenenlager) during World War II (1939-1945). [1]
Germany signed the Third Geneva Convention of 1929, which established norms relating to the treatment of prisoners of war.
While Germany largely adhered to the Geneva Convention when it came to other nationalities of prisoners of war, it disregarded it for the Soviet prisoners of war. Around 3 million of almost 6 million captured died, largely of starvation and disease, but also executions. [2]
At the start of World War II, the German Army was divided into 17 military districts (Wehrkreis), which were each assigned Roman numerals. The camps were numbered according to the military district. A letter behind the Roman number marked individual Stalags in a military district.
e.g.
Sub-camps had a suffix "/Z" (for Zweiglager - sub-camp). The main camp had a suffix of "/H" (for Hauptlager - main camp).
e.g.
Some of these sub-camps were not the traditional POW camps with barbed wire fences and guard towers, but merely accommodation centers.
The camps for Allied airmen were run by the Luftwaffe independently of the Army.
The camp for Allied seamen was run by the Kriegsmarine independently of the Army.
Post VE Day sending of German PoWs to Alaska, to dismantle war equipment http://www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/POWCamp/021715_prisoners_of_war.html
Nazi Germany operated around 1,000 prisoner-of-war camps ( German: Kriegsgefangenenlager) during World War II (1939-1945). [1]
Germany signed the Third Geneva Convention of 1929, which established norms relating to the treatment of prisoners of war.
While Germany largely adhered to the Geneva Convention when it came to other nationalities of prisoners of war, it disregarded it for the Soviet prisoners of war. Around 3 million of almost 6 million captured died, largely of starvation and disease, but also executions. [2]
At the start of World War II, the German Army was divided into 17 military districts (Wehrkreis), which were each assigned Roman numerals. The camps were numbered according to the military district. A letter behind the Roman number marked individual Stalags in a military district.
e.g.
Sub-camps had a suffix "/Z" (for Zweiglager - sub-camp). The main camp had a suffix of "/H" (for Hauptlager - main camp).
e.g.
Some of these sub-camps were not the traditional POW camps with barbed wire fences and guard towers, but merely accommodation centers.
The camps for Allied airmen were run by the Luftwaffe independently of the Army.
The camp for Allied seamen was run by the Kriegsmarine independently of the Army.
Post VE Day sending of German PoWs to Alaska, to dismantle war equipment http://www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/POWCamp/021715_prisoners_of_war.html