Colditz () is a small town in the district of

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

, in

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is best known for

Colditz Castle Castle Colditz (or ''Schloss Colditz'' in German) is a Renaissance castle in the town of Colditz near Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz in the state of Saxony in Germany. The castle is between the towns of Hartha and Grimma on a hill spur over the r ...

, the site of the Oflag IV-C POW camp for officers in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Geography

Colditz is situated in the Leipzig Bay, southeast of the city of

. The town centre is located on the banks of Zwickau Mulde river, south of its confluence with the Freiberg Mulde. The municipality had a population of 8,374 in 2020. The town Colditz consists of Colditz proper and the ''Ortsteile'' (divisions) Bockwitz, Collmen, Commichau, Erlbach, Erlln, Hausdorf, Hohnbach, Kaltenborn, Koltzschen,

Lastau Lastau is a village in Landkreis Leipzig, Saxony, Germany with approx. 222 inhabitants (2012). On 1 January 1994 it was incorporated into the town Colditz. Geography Lastau is located south-east of Colditz on the right bank of Zwickauer Mulde a ...

, Leisenau, Maaschwitz, Meuselwitz, Möseln, Podelwitz, Raschütz, Schönbach, Sermuth, Skoplau, Tanndorf, Terpitzsch, Zollwitz,

Zschadraß Zschadraß is a village and a former municipality in the Leipzig district in Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Colditz. The first record of a

burgward A burgward or castellanyArnold, Benjamin (1991). ''Princes and territories in medieval Germany'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York, p. 165. . was a form of settlement used for the organisation of the northeastern marches of the Ki ...

on the Mulde river, called ''Cholidistcha'', dates to the year 1046, when Emperor Henry III dedicated it to his consort

Agnes of Poitou Agnes of Poitou ( – 14 December 1077), was the queen of Germany from 1043 and empress of the Holy Roman Empire from 1046 until 1056 as the wife of Emperor Henry III. From 1056 to 1061, she ruled the Holy Roman Empire as regent during the m ...

. The name is possibly of Slavic origin. In 1083, Henry's son and successor Henry IV recommended that his follower Count

Wiprecht of Groitzsch Wiprecht (or Wigbert) of Groitzsch (died 22 May 1124) was the Margrave of Meissen and the Saxon Ostmark from 1123 until his death. He was born to a noble family of the Altmark, the son of Wiprecht of Balsamgau and Sigena of Leinungen. After his fat ...

build a castle on the cliff above the river. From 1158, under the rule of Emperor

Frederick Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...

, the fortress became the residence of the noble House of Colditz, a dynasty of '' ministeriales'' in the Imperial

Pleissnerland Pleissnerland, Pleissenland or the Imperial Territory of Pleissenland (german: Reichsterritorium Pleißenland; la, Terra Plisensis) was a '' Reichsgut'' of the Holy Roman Empire, which meant that it was directly possessed by the respective elected ...

territory. In the 12th century, merchant houses were built around a marketplace below the castle and St. Nicholas' Church was built. In 1265, the Colditz citizens were granted

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

by the ruler. In 1243, the former Imperial estates were pledged to the Wettin margrave Henry III of Meissen. His grandson, Margrave

Frederick I of Meissen Frederick I, called the Brave or the Bitten (German: ''Friedrich der Freidige'' or ''Friedrich der Gebissene''; 1257 – 16 November 1323) was Margrave of Meissen and Landgrave of Thuringia. Life Born in Eisenach, Frederick was the son of Albert I ...

occupied Colditz Castle in 1309. The whole lordship was finally incorporated into the Margravate of Meissen by 1404. Merged into the

Electorate of Saxony The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony (German: or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806. It was centered around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz. In the Golden Bull of 1356, Emperor Charles ...

from 1423, Colditz was held by Elector

Ernest Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic languages, Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman ...

upon the 1485 Treaty of Leipzig. In 1504, the local baker accidentally set Colditz on fire, and the city hall, church, castle and a large part of the town went up in flames. In 1506, reconstruction began and new buildings were raised around the rear castle courtyard. After the defeat of Elector

John Frederick I of Saxony John Frederick I (30 June 1503 in Torgau – 3 March 1554 in Weimar), called the Magnanimous, was the Elector of Saxony (1532–1547) and head of the Schmalkaldic League. Early years John Frederick was the eldest son of Elector John by his firs ...

in the

Schmalkaldic War The Schmalkaldic War (german: link=no, Schmalkaldischer Krieg) was the short period of violence from 1546 until 1547 between the forces of Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire (simultaneously King Charles I of Spain), commanded by the Duk ...

of 1546–47, the town passed to his cousin Maurice. His descendants continued to rebuild Colditz Castle as a hunting lodge. From 1602 to 1622, it served as the residence of Dowager Electress

Sophie Sophie is a version of the female given name Sophia, meaning "wise". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess o ...

, widow of Elector Christian I. In the 17th century, the cloth and linen manufacture developed. In the 18th century, clay from the Colditz area started to be used in the Meissen porcelain factory that was established in 1710 by Elector

Augustus the Strong Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as Ki ...

. In 1804 a ceramics factory was established in Colditz by Thomsberger & Hermann. Allied Prisoners of War at Oflag Ivc, Colditz HU20269

In the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

era, Colditz Castle was temporarily used as a concentration camp by the SA and as a ''

Reichsarbeitsdienst The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major organisation established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarise the workforce and indoctrinate it with Nazi ...

'' camp. During the Second World War, the town did not suffer any damage. In 1940, the town became the headquarters of the German military district

Wehrkreis IV The military districts, also known in some English-language publications by their German name as Wehrkreise (singular: ''Wehrkreis''), were administrative territorial units in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. The task of military distr ...

for personnel guarding an '' Oflag'' POW camp for officers, when Oflag IV-C was established in the castle. It became widely known after the war, for both its notable inmates (''Prominente''), such as

Giles Romilly Giles Samuel Bertram Romilly (19 September 1916 – 2 August 1967) was a communist journalist, Second World War POW, brother of Esmond Romilly, and nephew of Winston Churchill through his wife Clementine Churchill. Romilly was educated at Well ...

or George Lascelles, and several escape attempts. On 14April 1945, the U.S. Army entered the town and freed the prisoners. However, under agreements signed at the

Yalta Conference The Yalta Conference (codenamed Argonaut), also known as the Crimea Conference, held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the post ...

, the Americans withdrew and were replaced by

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

occupation forces late in June 1945. As a result, Colditz and the entire state of Saxony became part of

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

. In 1958, the publicly owned porcelain factory was established. It produced a major part of the dishes used by Mitropa, as evident by the manufacturer's logo "cp". Both porcelain and chamotte industry went into decline after 1990. Since

German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

in 1990, efforts have been made to increase visits by tourists. The castle was restored and has become a much visited museum. The great flood of August 2002 as well as the flood of 2013 caused some damage to the old town, but it has since been restored.

Sights

* St. Nicholas Church – Originally built in the middle of the 12th century. * Old Marketplace – ''Markt'', the houses at #13 and #21 were built around 1600. * Lower Market #3 – ''Untermarkt 3'' – a Gothic house with steep gabled roof with date 1564. *

Johann David Köhler Johann David Köhler (18 January 1684 – 10 March 1755) was a German historian. His academic focuses were on Roman coins as historical artifacts, ancient weapons, and genealogy. Köhler also served as university librarian at Altdorf and contr ...

house – the grandfather of information science and a grandfather of library science was born here 16 January 1684.

Twin towns

Colditz is twinned with * DEU Ochsenfurt COA

Ochsenfurt Ochsenfurt () is a town in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. Ochsenfurt is located on the left bank of the River Main and has around 11,000 inhabitants. This makes it the largest town in Würzburg district. Name Like Oxford, the t ...

Transport

The nearest airports are Leipzig-Altenburg Airport (26 km) and

Leipzig/Halle Airport Leipzig/Halle Airport (German: ''Flughafen Leipzig/Halle'') is an international airport located in Schkeuditz, Saxony, Germany and serves both Leipzig, Saxony, and Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. It is Germany's 14th largest airport by passengers and ...

(52 km). Traffic on the section of the Glauchau-Großbothen railway line through Colditz ceased in 2000. Public transport is provided by buses, with services to Grimma,

Leisnig Leisnig ( hsb, Lěsnik) is a small town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in the state of Saxony in Germany, 50 kilometers southeast of Leipzig. History A settlement in this location was first mentioned in 1046. The town features Mildenstein Ca ...

, Hartha, Rochlitz, and

Bad Lausick Bad Lausick () is a town in the Leipzig (district), Leipzig district, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated 12 km southwest of Grimma, and 29 km southeast of Leipzig. History Middle Ages to 18th century In 1096 Bad Lausick was mention ...

as well as to several villages in the vicinity. Map of bus services in the area

Wartime dramatisations

The story of the wartime prisoners at Oflag IV-C was documented by Patrick Robert ("Pat") Reid in his books ''The Colditz Story'' and ''The Latter Days At Colditz'', and the former was used as the basis for a 1955 film directed by

Guy Hamilton Mervyn Ian Guy Hamilton, DSC (16 September 1922 – 20 April 2016) was an English film director. He directed 22 films from the 1950s to the 1980s, including four James Bond films. Early life Hamilton was born in Paris on 16 September 1922, wh ...

. In the early 1970s the BBC broadcast a series, ''

Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Colditz Castle, the site of the Oflag IV-C POW camp for officers in World War II. Geography Colditz is situated in the Leipzig Bay, southeast of the c ...

'', created by

Brian Degas Brian R. Degas (2 October 1935 – 3 April 2020) was an English producer and writer, merchandiser, and creative packager of ancillary rights. Early career Degas was born to English parents on 2 October 1935 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As ...

and Gerard Glaister, with Reid as technical advisor. Beginning in 1973 a board game

Escape from Colditz ''Escape from Colditz'' is a strategy card and dice-based board game produced by Gibsons Games of London and first released in 1973. The original game box features escape equipment on the lid and has a four section, black plastic internal game ite ...

was marketed by

Parker Brothers Parker Brothers (known by Parker outside of North America) was an American toy and game manufacturer which in 1991 became a brand of Hasbro. More than 1,800 games were published under the Parker Brothers name since 1883. Among its products wer ...

, followed by a computer game in 1991.

Sons and daughters of the city

(1684–1755), historian and numismatic *

Paul Nitsche Hermann Paul Nitsche (November 25, 1876 – March 25, 1948) was a German psychiatrist known for his expert endorsement of the Third Reich's euthanasia authorization and who later headed the Medical Office of the T-4 Euthanasia Program. Paul N ...

(1876–1948), psychiatrist and one of the men responsible for the medical murders during the Nazi era, executed for crimes against humanity * Ernst Bergmann (1881–1945), professor of philosophy and pedagogy as well as a committed national socialist * Werner Gruner (1904–1995), mechanical engineer and university lecturer * Alfred Hoppe (1906–1985), painter and graphic artist *

Jürgen Schumann Jürgen Schumann (born 29. April 1940 in Colditz; died 16 October 1977 in Aden, South Yemen (now Yemen) was a German Pilot. In 1977 he was the flight captain of the Lufthansa plane Landshut when it was hijacked. He was murdered by PLFP terrorist ...

(1940–1977), pilot of the

Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), commonly shortened to Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. When combined with its subsidiaries, it is the second- largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Lufthansa is one of the five founding m ...

, victim of the Red Army Faction * Clemens Pickel (born 1961), bishop of the diocese of Saratov in Russia

Other people with a relationship to the city

Christian Führer Christian (5 March 1943 – 30 June 2014) was a Protestant pastor and one of the leading figures and organisers of the 1989 Monday demonstrations in East Germany which finally led to German reunification and the end of the GDR in 1990. Lif ...

(1943–2014), priest in Colditz from 1968 to 1980, an initiator of the peaceful revolution in the GDR as pastor of the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig *

Ernst, Elector of Saxony Ernest (24 March 144126 August 1486) was Elector of Saxony from 1464 to 1486. Ernst was the founder and progenitor of the ''Ernestine line'' of Rulers of Saxony, Saxon princes. Biography Ernst was born in Meissen, the second son (but fourth in ...

(1441–1486), died on 26 August 1486 near Colditz, when he fell from his horse on a ride

References

* Michael Booker, ''Collecting Colditz and Its Secrets'', page 32. * Eric J. Narveson, ''Prison Citadel'', pp. 36–37. * Pat Reid, ''Colditz: The Full Story'', pp. 124, 259–263. * Georg Martin Schädlich, ''Tales from Colditz Castle'', pp. 4–6, 27, 61, 63, 91–101. *

External links

Official website
*
Visiting information for Colditz Castle

indicate the camp was in existence from September 1939 until April 1945.
VirtualColditz.com
— Videos and photos of Colditz Castle as it is today. {{Authority control Leipzig (district)