Nazi Germany operated around 1,000 prisoner-of-war camps () during World War II (1939-1945).
The most common types of camps were Oflags ("Officer camp") and Stalags ("Base camp" – for enlisted personnel POW camps), although other less common types existed as well.
Legal background Germany signed the Third Geneva Convention of 1929, which established norms relating to the treatment of prisoners of war. Article 10 required PoWs be lodged in adequately heated and lighted buildings where conditions were the same as for German troops. Articles 27-32 detailed the conditions of labour. Enlisted ranks were required to perform whatever labour they were asked if able to do, so long as it was not dangerous and did not support the German war-effort. Senior non-commissioned officers (sergeants and above) were required to work only in a supervisory role. Commissioned officers were not required to work, although they could volunteer. The work performed was largely agricultural or industrial, ranging from coal- or potash-mining, stone quarrying, or work in saw mills, breweries, factories, railroad yards, and forests. PoWs hired out to military and civilian contractors were supposed to receive pay. The workers were also supposed to get at least one day a week of rest. Article 76 ensured that PoWs who died in captivity were honourably buried in marked graves.
According to some scholars (like Christian Gerlach) Germany largely adhered to the Geneva Convention when it came to other nationalities of prisoners of war. It however disregarded it for the Soviet prisoners of war. Around 3 million of almost 6 million captured died, largely of starvation and disease, but also executions.
Conditions In the early phases of the war, following German occupation of much of Europe, Germany also found itself unprepared for the number of POWs it held, and released many (particularly enlisted personnel) on parole (as a result, it released all the Dutch, all Flemish Belgian, nine-tenths of the Poles, and nearly a third of the French captives). As the war went on, Germany however refused to release other POWs, seeing them as blackmail material against others (ex. Vichy France). Conditions of soldiers from countries which no longer posed a significant threat to Germany (ex. Poland) were generally worse than those of others; British and American POWs received generally the best treatment.
Conditions in the camp have been described as bad, but (for POWs of Western Allies) improved as the war went on and Germans had to consider that they held significant amount of German POWs and could enact retribution.
Mortality rate
Types of camp
Dulag or Durchgangslager (transit camp) – These camps served as a collection point for POWs prior to reassignment. These camps were intelligence collection centers. Dulag Luft or Durchgangslager der Luftwaffe (transit camp of the Luftwaffe) – These were transit camps for Air Force/Air Corps POWs. The main Dulag Luft camp at Frankfurt was the principal collecting point for intelligence derived from Allied POW interrogation Heilag or Heimkehrerlager (repatriation camps) - Camps for the return of prisoners. Quite often these men had suffered disabling injuries. Ilag/Jlag or Internierungslager ("Internment camp") – These were civilian internment camps. Marlag or Marine-Lager ("Marine camp") – These were Navy/Marine personnel POW camps. Milag or Marine-Internierten-Lager ("Marine internment camp") – These were merchant seamen internment camps. Oflag or Offizier-Lager ("Officer camp") – These were POW camps for officers. Stalag or Stammlager ("Base camp") – These were enlisted personnel POW camps. Stalag Luft or Luftwaffe-Stammlager ("Luftwaffe base camp") – These were POW camps administered by the German Air Force for Allied aircrews (including officers, e.g. Stalag Luft I).
Nomenclature At the start of World War II, the German Army was divided into 17 military districts (Wehrkreise), which were each assigned Roman numerals. The camps were numbered according to the military district. A letter behind the Roman number marked individual Stalags in a military district.
e.g. Stalag II-D was the fourth Stalag in Military District II (Wehrkreis II).
Sub-camps had a suffix "/Z" (for Zweiglager - sub-camp). The main camp had a suffix of "/H" (for Hauptlager - main camp).
e.g. Oflag VII-C/H meant this is the main camp. Oflag VII-C/Z meant this is a sub-camp of a main camp.
Some of these sub-camps were not the traditional POW camps with barbed wire fences and guard towers, but merely accommodation centers.
List of camps by military district
Military District I (Königsberg)
Stalag I-A in Stablack (Kamińsk and Dolgorukovo) Stalag I-B in Hohenstein (Olsztynek) Stalag I-C/331, from June 1943: Stalag Luft VI, in Heydekrug (Šilutė) Stalag I-D in Ebenrode (Nesterov) and Heydekrug (Šilutė) Stalag I-E in Prostken (Prostki) and Sudauen (Suwałki) Stalag I-F in Sudauen (Suwałki) Oflag 52 in Ebenrode (Nesterov) Oflag 53 in Pagėgiai Oflag 56 in Prostken (Prostki) Oflag 60 in Schirwindt (Kutuzovo) Oflag 63 in Dłutowo Oflag 68 in Krzywólka
Military District II (Stettin)
Stalag II-A in Neubrandenburg Stalag II-B in Hammerstein (Czarne) Stalag II-C in Greifswald Stalag II-D in Stargard Stalag II-E in Schwerin Stalag II-F in Czarne Stalag II-G/323 in Borne Sulinowo Stalag II-H/302 in Barkniewko and Raderitz (Nadarzyce) Oflag II-A in Prenzlau Oflag II-B in Arnswalde (Choszczno) Oflag II-C in Woldenberg (Dobiegniew) Oflag II-D in Gross Born (Borne Sulinowo) Oflag II-E in Neubrandenburg Oflag 67 in Neubrandenburg Oflag 80 in Prenzlau
Military District III (Berlin)
Stalag III-A Luckenwalde Stalag III-B Fürstenberg/Oder Stalag III-C Alt-Drewitz (Drzewice) Stalag III-D Berlin-Lichterfelde Oflag III-A Luckenwalde Oflag III-B Wehrmachtlager Tibor/Zuellichau (Cibórz/Sulechów) Oflag III-C Lübben/Spree Oflag 8 in Frauenberg and Wutzetz (Germany)
Military District IV (Dresden) Stalag IV-A Elsterhorst Stalag IV-B Mühlberg (Elbe) Stalag IV-C Wistritz (Bystřice) Stalag IV-D Torgau Stalag IV-E Altenburg Stalag IV-F Hartmannsdorf Stalag IV-G Oschatz Stalag IV-H Zeithain Oflag IV-A Hohnstein Oflag IV-B Koenigstein Oflag IV-C Colditz Castle Oflag IV-D Elsterhorst Oflag IV-E/54 Annaburg
Military District V (Stuttgart) Stalag V-A Ludwigsburg Stalag V-B Villingen Stalag V-C Wildberg Stalag V-D Strasbourg Oflag V-A Weinsberg Oflag V-B Biberach Oflag V-C Wurzach Oflag V-D/55 Offenburg
Military District VI (Münster)
Stalag VI-A Hemer/Iserlohn Stalag VI-B Neu-Versen Stalag VI-C Oberlangen/Emsland Stalag VI-D Dortmund Stalag VI-E Soest Stalag VI-F Bocholt Stalag VI-G Bonn–Duisdorf 1944-45 Hoffnungsthal Stalag VI-H Arnoldsweiler/Dueren Stalag VI-J S.A. Lager Fichtenhein/Krefeld and Dorsten Stalag VI-K Stukenbrock Stalag 308 Bathorn Oflag VI-A Soest Oflag VI-B Doessel–Warburg Oflag VI-C Eversheide/Osnabrück Oflag VI-D Münster Oflag VI-E Dorsten
Military District VII (Munich)
Stalag VII-A Moosburg Stalag VII-B Memmingen Oflag VII Laufen Oflag VII-A Murnau am Staffelsee Oflag VII-B Eichstaett Oflag VII-C Laufen Oflag VII-D Tittmoning Oflag 78/VII-E in Großgmain and Hohenfels
Military District VIII (Breslau)
Stalag VIII-A Görlitz (Zgorzelec) Stalag VIII-B Lamsdorf (Łambinowice) Stalag VIII-C Sagan (Żagań) Stalag VIII-D Teschen (Český Těšín) Stalag VIII-E/308 Neuhammer (Świętoszów) Stalag VIII-F Lamsdorf (Łambinowice) Oflag VIII-A Kreuzburg/Oppeln (Kluczbork/Opole) Oflag VIII-B Silberberg (Srebrna Góra) Oflag VIII-C Juliusburg (Dobroszyce) Oflag VIII-D/Tittmoning Castle Oflag VIII-E Johannisbrunn (Jánské Koupele) Oflag VIII-F in Wahlstatt (Legnickie Pole) and Mährisch-Trübau (Moravská Třebová) Oflag VIII-G in Weidenau (Vidnava) and Freiwaldau (Jeseník) Oflag VIII-H/H Oberlangendorf/Sternberg Oflag VIII-H/Z Eulenberg/Roemerstadt (Rýmařov) Oflag 6 in Tost (Toszek)
Military District IX (Kassel) Stalag IX-A Ziegenhain Stalag IX-B Wegscheide/Bad Orb Stalag IX-C Bad Sulza Oflag IX-A/H Burg Spangenberg Oflag IX-A/Z Rotenburg/Fulda Oflag IX-B Weilburg/Lahn Oflag IX-C Molsdorf near Erfurt
Military District X (Hamburg) Stalag X-A Schleswig Stalag X-B Sandbostel Stalag X-C Nienburg/Weser Stalag X-D Wietzendorf Oflag X Hohensalza Oflag X-A Itzehoe Oflag X-B Nienburg/Weser Oflag X-C Lübeck Oflag X-D Fischbek Oflag 83 Wietzendorf
Military District XI (Hanover)
Stalag XI-A Altengrabow Stalag XI-B Fallingbostel Stalag XI-C Bergen-Belsen Stalag XI-D Oerbke Oflag XI-A Osterode am Harz
Military District XII (Wiesbaden) Stalag XII-A Limburg an der Lahn Stalag XII-B Frankenthal/Palatinate Stalag XII-C Wiebelsheim/Rhein Stalag XII-D Trier/Petrisberg (Trèves) Stalag XII-E in Metz (France) and Zambrów (Poland) Stalag XII-F in Sarrebourg, Boulay-Moselle and Forbach (France), Dudweiler and Freinsheim (Germany) Oflag XII-A Hadamar/Limburg an der Lahn Oflag XII-B Mainz
Military District XIII (Nuremberg) Stalag XIII-A Sulzbach-Rosenberg Stalag XIII-B Weiden/Oberpfalz Stalag XIII-C Hammelburg Stalag XIII-D Nuremberg-Langwasser Oflag XIII-A Nuremberg-Langwasser Oflag XIII-B Hammelburg Oflag XIII-D Nuremberg-Langwasser
Military District XVII (Vienna)
Stalag XVII-A Kaisersteinbruch Stalag XVII-B Krems–Gneixendorf. Formerly named Dulag Gneixendorf Stalag XVII-C Döllersheim. Previously named Dulag Döllersheim Stalag XVII-D Pupping. Previously named Zweiglager Pupping, renamed Stalag 237, Stalag 397, and finally Stalag 398 Pupping Oflag XVII-A Edelbach
Military District XVIII (Salzburg)
Stalag XVIII-A Wolfsberg Stalag XVIII-A/Z Spittal Stalag XVIII-B Oberdrauburg Stalag XVIII-C Markt Pongau Stalag XVIII-D Maribor (Slovenia) Oflag XVIII-A Lienz/Drau Oflag XVIII-B Wolfsberg/Kaernten Oflag XVIII-C Spittal/Drau
Military District XX (Danzig)
Stalag XX-A in Toruń (Poland) Stalag XX-B in Licze and Wielbark (Poland)
Military District XXI (Posen) Stalag XXI-A in Schildberg (Ostrzeszów, Poland) Stalag XXI-B in Schubin (Szubin, Poland) Stalag XXI-B in Tur (Poland) Stalag XXI-C in Wollstein (Wolsztyn, Poland) Stalag XXI-D in Posen (Poznań, Poland) Stalag XXI-E in Graetz (Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Poland) Oflag XXI-A in Schokken (Skoki, Poland) Oflag XXI-B in Schubin (Szubin)
Oflag XXI-C in Schokken (Skoki) and Schildberg (Ostrzeszów, Poland) Oflag XXI-C/Z in Grune (Gronówko, Poland) Oflag 10 in Mątwy (Poland)
Other camps Oflag 57 in Murnau am Staffelsee (Germany), Ostrołęka and Białystok (Poland) Oflag 58 in Nowa Kuźnia and Siedlce (Poland) Oflag 64 in Legnickie Pole and Szubin (Poland) Oflag 65 in Lubny (Ukraine), Strasbourg (France) and Barkniewko (Poland) Oflag 66 in Osnabrück-Eversheide (Germany) Oflag 73 in Beniaminów (Poland) and Nuremberg-Langwasser (Germany) Oflag 76 in Lwów (Poland) Oflag 77 in Dęblin (Poland) Oflag 79 in Waggum, Braunschweig Stalag 122 in Compiègne (France) Stalag 133 in Rennes (France) Stalag 160 in Lunéville (France) Stalag 191 in La Fère (France) Stalag 237 in Piotrków Trybunalski (Poland) Stalag 301 in Sieradz, Lublin and Kowel (Poland), Slavuta and Shepetivka (Ukraine) Stalag 303 in Jørstadmoen (Norway) Stalag 304/IV-H in Zeithain (Germany), Leuven (Belgium) and Trieste (Italy) Stalag 305 in Rzeszów (Poland) and Kirovohrad (Ukraine) Stalag 307 in Kaliłów and Dęblin (Poland) Stalag 308 in Sumy (Ukraine) Stalag 309 in Salla (Finland) and Lakselv (Norway) Stalag 310 in Konotop, Zaporizhzhia, Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk, Novoukrainka, Pomichna, Pervomaisk and Balta (Ukraine), and Przemyśl (Poland) Stalag 312/XX-C in Toruń (Poland), Khanzhenkovo and Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine) Stalag 313 in Vitebsk (Belarus) Stalag 315 in Przemyśl (Poland), Villingen (Germany) and Épinal (France) Stalag 316 in Siedlce, Wołkowysk and Białystok (Poland)
Stalag 319 in Chełm (Poland)