Colditz Castle is quite possibly best known as a top security POW camp used by the Nazis for the duration of World War II to hold Allied prisoners of war who they thought of as "incorrigible". Having said that, the castle is more than 800 years old which means there is much more to its heritage than the six years when it was generally known as Oflag IV-C.
Construction commenced in the middle of the 12th century on the imposing castle set on a hill overlooking Colditz in Saxony, Germany. Within a few years, habitations sprung up in the area of the castle and after almost 250 years, it was sold by the Lords of Coldtiz.
A big fire in the early 1500s resulted in significant sections of the castle needed to be rebuilt along with the city hall, church and large areas of the city. Over the years, renovation and rebuilding construction saw the shape of the castle transform and in the 19th century it was rebuilt yet again and made use of as a workhouse and later on a mental hospital till 1924.
In 1933, Hitler came to power and converted the castle to a prison for political prisoners of war. Immediately after the start of World War II in 1939, POWs were imprisoned here. It was used to contain top risk prisoners of war who were regarded as dangerous and certainly going to make an attempt to escape. Even though it was a top security pow camp, the nature of the inmates at Oflag IV-C (it's prison camp name), meant there were several imaginative escape efforts. There was even one plan where POWs plotted to make use of a glider even though it was never attempted as the Allies retook the castle before the escape attempt could be staged.
Colditz was a prisoner of war camp for officers and there were also some well known inmates including the British air ace, Douglas Bader, Patrick Reid who wrote numerous books on Colditz after the war, Airey Neave who was the first officer to escape from the POW camp and was also ultimately elected to the British Parliament, Sir David Stirling who set up the Special Air Service and Charles Upham from New Zealand who was awarded the Victoria Cross and bar. One of the most notable of all was Giles Romilly who was the nephew of Winston Churchill's wife.
In recent years, Colditz Castle has been renovated and is open to visitors to see this historic building for themselves.
Construction commenced in the middle of the 12th century on the imposing castle set on a hill overlooking Colditz in Saxony, Germany. Within a few years, habitations sprung up in the area of the castle and after almost 250 years, it was sold by the Lords of Coldtiz.
A big fire in the early 1500s resulted in significant sections of the castle needed to be rebuilt along with the city hall, church and large areas of the city. Over the years, renovation and rebuilding construction saw the shape of the castle transform and in the 19th century it was rebuilt yet again and made use of as a workhouse and later on a mental hospital till 1924.
In 1933, Hitler came to power and converted the castle to a prison for political prisoners of war. Immediately after the start of World War II in 1939, POWs were imprisoned here. It was used to contain top risk prisoners of war who were regarded as dangerous and certainly going to make an attempt to escape. Even though it was a top security pow camp, the nature of the inmates at Oflag IV-C (it's prison camp name), meant there were several imaginative escape efforts. There was even one plan where POWs plotted to make use of a glider even though it was never attempted as the Allies retook the castle before the escape attempt could be staged.
Colditz was a prisoner of war camp for officers and there were also some well known inmates including the British air ace, Douglas Bader, Patrick Reid who wrote numerous books on Colditz after the war, Airey Neave who was the first officer to escape from the POW camp and was also ultimately elected to the British Parliament, Sir David Stirling who set up the Special Air Service and Charles Upham from New Zealand who was awarded the Victoria Cross and bar. One of the most notable of all was Giles Romilly who was the nephew of Winston Churchill's wife.
In recent years, Colditz Castle has been renovated and is open to visitors to see this historic building for themselves.
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The historic Colditz Castle has given many of the most imaginative escape stories of the Second World War.. Check here for free reprint license: Colditz - A Castle with a Rich Heritage.
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