Ukrainian Austrian internment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ukrainian Austrian internment was part of the confinement of enemy aliens in Austria during World War I. Central Camp Talerhof was a concentration camp in Austria operating since 1914 until 1917. Talerhof (German: Thalerhof) — an internment camp in the Austrian province of Styria operated by the Austro-Hungarian imperial government.
Over twenty thousand Ukrainians supporters of Russia were arrested and placed in the Austrian concentration camp, and in fortress Terezín, Bohemia. The camp housed primarily Russophile-oriented individuals and families from Galicia, among whom were at least 1,915 Lemkos (some sources place the figure as high as 5,000) from 151 villages. Of those Lemkos incarcerated, 168 died and numerous others had their health destroyed. All were suspected of possible collaboration with the advancing tsarist Russian Army that had invaded Galicia at the outset of World War I.
The first group of prisoners has been convoyed in Talerhof by soldiers of Austrian regiment of Graz on September, 4, 1914. Till winter 1915 there were no barracks in Talerhof. Prisoners laid on the ground open-air during a rain and a frost.
On November, 9, 1914 official report of field marshal Schleer informed, there were 5700 Russophiles in Talerhof. In total 20 thousand people were prisoners of Talerhof since September, 4 1914 till May, 10 1917.
Already in first 1.5 years three thousand prisoners of Talerhof died. Tens thousand of Russophiles were victims of reprisals which carried out by Austro-hungarian authorities in territory of the Western Ukraine during World War I. In May 1917 the Talerhof camp was closed by order of Emperor Charles I (r. 1916-1918).
