Oflag IX-C
Encyclopedia
Oflag IX-C Molsdorf was a prisoner of war
camp specifically created to house women officers
from the 1944 Warsaw Uprising
. It was the worst of all Oflag
s operated by the German Army
during World War II
. It consisted of 7 huts used by workers building the Autobahn near Erfurt
in 1938 and an administration building. It was under the administrative command of Stalag IX-C
near Bad Sulza
. The officer in charge of the camp, Hauptmann, was reasonably well disposed but quite unable to rectify the situation, according to later testimony of the prisoners. In December 1944, 380 women officers, 38 female orderlies
and 3 children were brought here from other POW camps – Fallingbostel, Bergen-Belsen, Gross Rosen, Altenburg, Lamsdorf and Sandbostel. The Polish section commander was Mjr. Wanda Gertz
.
Typical of the mistreatment of the prisoners was the refusal to supply any heating materials for the huts even though the temperature fell as low as −17°C
(1°F
). Although eventually some Red Cross packages were sent over from Stalag IX-C, they were refused any means for cooking and had to improvise as well as they could. A Delegate of the International Red Cross, Dr. H. Landolt, arrived on an inspection tour on 8 March 1945, accompanied by an officer of The German High Command
. In her report she stated: "this camp looks surprisingly like a concentration camp, not like any Oflag that I have seen." The German officer
promised to correct the situation, but just one month later, 8 March 1945, units of the U.S. Third Army liberated the camp. However they found only 30 sick women there. Three days earlier, the other women had been marched to the west. Fortunately, after marching only 35 km they ran into units of the Canadian Army.
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp specifically created to house women officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
from the 1944 Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
. It was the worst of all Oflag
Oflag
An Oflag was a prisoner of war camp for officers only, established by the German Army in both World War I and World War II in accordance with the requirements of the Geneva Convention ....
s operated by the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It consisted of 7 huts used by workers building the Autobahn near Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
in 1938 and an administration building. It was under the administrative command of Stalag IX-C
Stalag IX-C
Stalag IX-C was a World War II German POW camp. Although its headquarters were located near Bad Sulza, between Erfurt and Leipzig in Thuringia, its sub-camps - Arbeitskommandos - were spread over a wide area, particularly those holding prisoners working in the potassium mines, south of...
near Bad Sulza
Bad Sulza
*anthonys wiilyBad Sulza is a town in the Weimarer Land district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Ilm, 15 km southwest of Naumburg, and 18 km north of Jena....
. The officer in charge of the camp, Hauptmann, was reasonably well disposed but quite unable to rectify the situation, according to later testimony of the prisoners. In December 1944, 380 women officers, 38 female orderlies
Orderly
A medical orderly , is a hospital attendant whose job consists of assisting medical and/or nursing staff with various nursing and/or medical interventions. These duties are classified as routine tasks involving no risk for the patient.- Job details :Orderlies are often utilized in various hospital...
and 3 children were brought here from other POW camps – Fallingbostel, Bergen-Belsen, Gross Rosen, Altenburg, Lamsdorf and Sandbostel. The Polish section commander was Mjr. Wanda Gertz
Wanda Gertz
Wanda Gertz codename: Lena, Kazik was a Polish major and soldier of the Armia Krajowa....
.
Typical of the mistreatment of the prisoners was the refusal to supply any heating materials for the huts even though the temperature fell as low as −17°C
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
(1°F
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
). Although eventually some Red Cross packages were sent over from Stalag IX-C, they were refused any means for cooking and had to improvise as well as they could. A Delegate of the International Red Cross, Dr. H. Landolt, arrived on an inspection tour on 8 March 1945, accompanied by an officer of The German High Command
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
. In her report she stated: "this camp looks surprisingly like a concentration camp, not like any Oflag that I have seen." The German officer
promised to correct the situation, but just one month later, 8 March 1945, units of the U.S. Third Army liberated the camp. However they found only 30 sick women there. Three days earlier, the other women had been marched to the west. Fortunately, after marching only 35 km they ran into units of the Canadian Army.