Oflag X-C was a German

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 opposing ...

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. ...

for

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

s ('' Offizierlager'') in

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the state ...

in northern Germany. The camp was located on the corner of ''Friedhofsallee'' and ''Vorwerkstrasse'', close to Lübeck's border with the town of Schwartau (now Bad Schwartau), and is often cited as being located in Schwartau rather than Lübeck.

Camp history

The camp was opened in June 1940 for French officers captured during the Battle of France. In June 1941 British and Commonwealth officers from the

Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...

and the North African Campaign arrived. During 1941 and 1942 many Allied air crews that had been shot down were taken to Lübeck, then later transferred to ''

Oflag VI-B Oflag VI-B was a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp for officers (''Offizerlager''), southwest of the village of Dössel (now part of Warburg) in Germany. Camp history In 1939, before it was a POW camp, the area was originally planned to ...

'', Warburg In early 1945 Polish Officers, inmates of Oflag II-D Gross-Born and

Oflag II-C Oflag II-C Woldenburg was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp located about from the town of Woldenberg, Brandenburg (now Dobiegniew, western Poland). The camp housed Polish officers and orderlies and had an area of with 25 brick huts fo ...

Woldenberg, were marched westwards and finally reached Oflag X-C. The camp was liberated on 2 May 1945 by troops of the British 2nd Army. Prisoners of war were repatriated during May 1945 ( Operation Exodus).

Prominent prisoners

French theologian

Yves Congar Yves Marie-Joseph Congar (; 13 April 1904 – 22 June 1995) was a French Dominican friar, priest, and theologian. He is perhaps best known for his influence at the Second Vatican Council and for reviving theological interest in the Holy Spiri ...

was placed as a POW at the

fortress because of his numerous escape attempts from other camps after being captured while serving as an officer in the French army.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * * Rollings, Charles (August 2004), ''Wire and Worse: RAF Prisoners of War in Laufen, Bibarach, Lubeck and Warburg 1940-42''. Oflags History of Lübeck World War II prisoner of war camps in Germany 1940 establishments in Germany 1945 disestablishments in Germany {{World-War-II-stub

Camp history

Prominent prisoners

See also

References