Oflag VIII-E was a

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 ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...

for

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

s (''Offizierlager'') located in Jánské Koupele (then ''Johannisbrunn'') in German-occupied

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

(now located in the

Moravian–Silesian Region The Moravian-Silesian Region ( cs, Moravskoslezský kraj; pl, Kraj morawsko-śląski; sk, Moravsko-sliezsky kraj) is one of the 14 administrative regions of the Czech Republic. Before May 2001, it was called the Ostrava Region ( cs, Ostravsk� ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Camp history

The camp, a former spa hotel, was opened in July 1940 and housed approximately 70 Allied generals and their aides. Among those officers imprisoned were 30 from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, 24 from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, 7 from the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, 6 from

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, 1 from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, and a Colonel from

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. On April 27, 1942, all the Poles were transferred to other camps, mostly to

Oflag VII-A Murnau Oflag VII-A Murnau was a German Army prisoner-of-war camp for Polish Army officers during World War II. It was located north of the Bavarian town of Murnau am Staffelsee. Camp history The camp was created in September 1939. It consisted of an e ...

. Soon after all the other prisoners were also transferred, and the camp was closed on 1 July 1942.

Commandants

* ''

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish ...

'' Hencker (29 October 1940 – 30 June 1941) * ''

Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...

'' Johann Janusz (1 July 1941 – 19 May 1942)

Notable prisoners

A number of high-ranking officers were held in the camp, including: Polish ''

Generał dywizji Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...

'' *

Władysław Bortnowski Władysław Bortnowski (12 November 1891 – 21 November 1966) was a Polish historian, military commander and one of the highest ranking generals of the Polish Army. He is most famous for commanding the Pomorze Army in the Battle of Bzura during ...

Tadeusz Kutrzeba Tadeusz Kutrzeba (15 April 1885 – 8 January 1947) was a general of the army during the Second Polish Republic. He served as a major general in the Polish Army in overall command of Army Poznań during the 1939 German Invasion of Poland. :pl:Tad ...

Juliusz Rómmel Juliusz Karol Wilhelm Józef Rómmel (german: Julius Karl Wilhelm Josef Freiherr von Rummel; 3 June 1881 – 8 September 1967) was a Polish military commander, a general of the Polish Armed Forces (Second Polish Republic), Polish Armed Forces. He ...

Generał brygady Generał brygady (, literally ''General of a brigade'', abbreviated gen. bryg.) is the lowest grade for generals in the Polish Army (both in the Land Forces and in the Polish Air Force). Depending on the context, it is equivalent to both the mode ...

'' *

Roman Abraham Roman Józef Abraham (28 February 1891, Lwów – 26 August 1976, Warsaw) was a Polish cavalry general, commander of the Wielkopolska Cavalry Brigade during the German and Soviet Invasion of Poland in September 1939, and Battle of Bzura comman ...

Franciszek Alter Franciszek Alter (22 November 1889 in Lviv – 23 January 1945 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen) was a Polish general. Career Franciszek Alter began his career as an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army, reaching the rank of captain. He fought in the ...

* Władysław Boncza-Uzdowski * Leopold Cehak * Jan Chmurowicz *

Walerian Czuma Walerian Czuma (24 December 1890 – 7 April 1962) was a Polish general and military commander. He is notable for his command over a Polish unit in Siberia during the Russian Civil War, and the commander of the defence of Warsaw during the siege ...

* Franciszek Dindorf-Ankowicz * Juliusz Drapella * Janusz Gąsiorowski *

Edmund Knoll-Kownacki Gen.bryg. Edmund Stanisław Knoll-Kownacki (1891–1953) was a Polish military officer and a high-ranking commander of the Polish Army. Youth Son of Kazimierz and Maria von Eynatten. After his matura exam in 1908 in Kaluga, he continued his ed ...

Wincenty Kowalski Wincenty Kowalski (1892–1984) was a Polish military commander and a general of the Polish Army. A veteran of both World War I and World War II, he fought in all the inter-war conflicts of Poland. During the Invasion of Poland of 1939 he commanded ...

* Józef Kwaciszewski * Stanislaw Malachowski *

Czesław Młot-Fijałkowski Czesław Młot-Fijałkowski (1892–1944) was a Polish military officer and a brigadier general of the Polish Army. Czesław Fijałkowski was born on 14 April 1892 in Okalewo (now in Rypin County), in the Płock Governorate of Congress Poland, ...

* Zygmunt Piasecki *

Wacław Piekarski Wacław Piekarski (1893-1979) was a Polish military officer and a general ( generał brygady) of the Polish Army. He fought in World War I in the ranks of various Polish formations. During the Invasion of Poland and the opening stages of World War ...

* Zygmunt Podhorski * Zdzislaw Przyjalkowski *

Jan Jagmin-Sadowski Jan Jagmin-Sadowski (24 April 1895 in Grójec – 5 October 1977 in Warsaw), was a general of the Polish Army, having served in World War I as a member of Józef Piłsudski's legions, as well as commanding Polish forces during the invasion of Po ...

* Stanisław Taczak *

Wiktor Thommée Wiktor Thommée (1881–1962) was a Polish military commander and a brigadier general of the Polish Army. A veteran of the Great War and the Russian Civil War, he is best known for his command over Piotrków Operational Group and the battle of t ...

Juliusz Zulauf Juliusz Zulauf (August 20, 1891 – May 21, 1943) was a Polish Army brigadier general (''generał brygady''). A recipient of the ''Virtuti Militari'', he fought with distinction during World War I, the Polish-Ukrainian War, the Polish-Soviet ...

'' Kontradmirał'' *

Józef Unrug Józef Unrug (; 7 October 1884 – 28 February 1973) was a Polish admiral who helped reestablish Poland's navy after World War I. During the opening stages of World War II, he served as the Polish Navy's commander-in-chief. As a German POW, he r ...

British *

Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

Nigel FitzRoy Somerset ( 145th Infantry Brigade) Dutch *General Henri Gerard Winkelman, Commander-in-Chief Dutch Forces 1940Teo van Middelkoop, Generaal H.G. Winkelman, Standvastig strijder, Zaltbommel, 2002

References

External links

* {{Main German WWII POW camps 1944-1945 Oflags World War II sites in the Czech Republic

Camp history

Commandants

Notable prisoners

See also

References

External links