Stalag VIII-E
Stalag VIII-E was a Second World War German POW camp located 12 km south of the famous Stalag Luft III near Sagan, Germany, (now Żagań, Poland). It was built on the large German Army training grounds next to the village of Neuhammer, today called Świętoszów, that are still in use today by the Polish Armed Forces
Timeline
- The camp was built in September 1939 to house several thousand Polish prisoners from the German September 1939 offensive.
- After May 1940, they were joined by French prisoners taken during the Battle of France.
- In 1941, they were transferred to other camps and replaced with Soviet prisoners.
- The first Soviets arrived on July 12, 1941.
- In June 1942, the camp became a subsidiary of Stalag VIII-C and its administrative office was closed.
- By June 1942, more than 100,000 prisoners were crowded into this camp. As a result of starvation and disease, mainly typhoid fever and tuberculosis, almost half of them died before the end of the war.
- The Soviet Army entered the camp on February 15, 1945. The suffering of the surviving prisoners did not end quickly.
Aftermath
In 1961, a monument was erected at the cemetery next to the site of Stalag VIII-C in remembrance of the thousands who died and are buried here. In 1971, the "Martyrdom Museum of Allied prisoners of War" was established on the site of the camp to house mementos and records of both Stalag VIII-C and Stalag Luft as well as Stalag VIII-E.
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