Oflag XXI-C
Encyclopedia
Oflag XXI-C was a German Army
World War II
prisoner-of-war camp
for officer
s located in Warthegau, a western province of Poland
that had been incorporated into the German Reich
in 1939.
It was originally established near Schokken, present day Skoki
, 30km (18 miles) north of Poznań
. Then it was moved to Schildberg, present day Ostrzeszów
, 29km south of Ostrów Wielkopolski
, taking over buildings previously used as a camp for wounded and sick British
non-commissioned officers and called Stalag XXI-A. This camp was unique among POW camps in that it used several buildings in the center of the small town, from which the remaining Polish inhahabitants had been removed. These buildings were not adjacent to each other and were surrounded by barbed-wire fences.
Oflag XXI-C was a camp for Norwegian
officers arrested in Norway in 1942 and 1943. Originally most soldiers and officers had been released after the end of the Norwegian campaign
, but as resistance activities increased, the officers were arrested and sent to POW camps.
A Norwegian POW museum was established in 1996 within the regional museum in the town-hall of Ostrzeszów.
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...
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...
prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
for officer
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...
s located in Warthegau, a western province of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
that had been incorporated into the German Reich
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1939.
It was originally established near Schokken, present day Skoki
Skoki
Skoki is a town in Poland, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Wągrowiec County, with 3,779 inhabitants . It is located about 40 km north of Poznań...
, 30km (18 miles) north of Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
. Then it was moved to Schildberg, present day Ostrzeszów
Ostrzeszów
Ostrzeszów is a town in Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the capital of Ostrzeszów County . The population is 14,490 ....
, 29km south of Ostrów Wielkopolski
Ostrów Wielkopolski
Ostrów Wielkopolski is a town in central Poland with 72,360 inhabitants , situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship; the seat of Ostrów Wielkopolski County.-History:Recently, a small fortified dwelling dating from the 10th century was discovered on the north-east side of...
, taking over buildings previously used as a camp for wounded and sick British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
non-commissioned officers and called Stalag XXI-A. This camp was unique among POW camps in that it used several buildings in the center of the small town, from which the remaining Polish inhahabitants had been removed. These buildings were not adjacent to each other and were surrounded by barbed-wire fences.
Oflag XXI-C was a camp for Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
officers arrested in Norway in 1942 and 1943. Originally most soldiers and officers had been released after the end of the Norwegian campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
, but as resistance activities increased, the officers were arrested and sent to POW camps.
A Norwegian POW museum was established in 1996 within the regional museum in the town-hall of Ostrzeszów.
Timeline
- June 1942 - Oflag XXI-A in Schokken is renumbered Oflag XXI-C, the first Norwegian officers arrive.
- March 1943 - the camp and all Norwegian officers are transferred to Ostrzeszów.
- 1944 - the Norwegian officers are located as follows: 630 in Seminary; 290 in high-school; 100 in primary school; 80 in Richter house; 30 in hospital
- January 1945 - the officers are marched out westward. Finally arrived at Oflag III-A Luckenwalde, south of BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. - 21 April 1945 - Soviet tanksRed ArmyThe Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
under Gen.Timoshenko liberated the camp. - 5 May 1945 - the Norwegian officers are transported east to a camp near Lignica in Silesia.
- 28 May 1945 - they arrive in Oslo after several day journey by train via HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and AarhusAarhusAarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
in Denmark.
External links
- http://oflag21c.ovh.org - some English, mostly Norwegian and Polish.
- - Norwegian Wikipedia