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A Failed Escape, Stalag XXA "Pilots", and Battle of Britain

Very little was missing for Toruń to go down in World War II history as the site of one of the most spectacular escape attempts from a German prisoner-of-war camp. The former Toruń airfield, today part of the Pomeranian Aero Club, was not only a Luftwaffe training facility but also a place where the fates of POWs, Polish pilots, and Allied intelligence intersected. During the German occupation, work details from the prisoner-of-war camp Stalag XXA were regularly assigned to physical labor at the Toruń airfield. As recalled by one of the prisoners, their duties included clearing snow from the runway , maintaining infrastructure, and carrying out fieldwork around the airfield used by the Luftwaffe. It was during one of these work assignments that an event occurred which could have ended in a daring escape. Two officers — POWs from Stalag XXA — swapped places with fellow prisoners who were scheduled to go out on a work detail that day. The plan was simple and bold: at the right moment,...
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Always in Our Hearts: Remembering the Fallen

In the first days of November, we especially commemorate those who are no longer with us. I visited the monument of Stalag XXA you all know and, on behalf of our community, took the liberty of lighting a symbolic candle. As you can see, I was not alone, and I am very pleased that residents also remembered this. Please also see the photos of Toruń's cemeteries, which were illuminated by the glow of candles on November 1st.
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Traces of History: Uncovering the Forgotten Secrets of Stalag XXA in Toruń

Even in the face of inevitable terrain changes, the latest technologies are allowing historians and enthusiasts to discover deeply hidden evidence of the past. Around the Toruń fortress, the location known as Stalag XXA , remnants of wartime dramas still lie concealed. Join us on a virtual journey tracing the paths of prisoners of war ( POWs ) and find out what the terrain relief reveals around Fort XI , the main headquarters of the POW camp . Toruń and Stalag XXA: Places That Remember The history of World War II in Toruń is inextricably linked to the POW camp system in Military District XX. A key site was Stalag XXA (also known as Stalag 20A ), which operated within the 19th-century forts. Although the landscape around Fort XI is constantly transforming, modern methods such as laser scanning and aerial photo analysis make it possible to spot what was once blurred by time and nature. The analyzed terrain relief clearly shows the shape of Fort XI . As you know, this fort was the c...
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Son Retraces His Father’s WWII Path – From Stalag XXA in Toruń to Forgotten POW Graves

It is rare to meet families with such well-preserved wartime archives, but this story is one of them. The son of a British POW visited Poland to trace his father’s path during World War II. Based on remarkable archival materials and photographs, we now know that his father was held in Prabuty, Bydgoszcz, the forts of Toruń (Stalag XXA / Stalag 20A), Chełmno, and a village near Chełmno . Thanks to precise verification of these records, it was even possible to locate the site where one of the prisoners was buried. With high probability, the same tree still stands there, silently witnessing that event over 80 years later. A truly moving moment came during a special tribute: a bagpipe concert in memory of the father and all those who perished during WWII . This was the first time we experienced something so emotional and powerful in our work to preserve the memory of prisoners of war in Toruń . Stories like this remind us why documenting the history of POWs in Stalag XXA is so import...
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Secret Communication Channels in Stalag XXA in Toruń

During the operation of the German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag XXA in Toruń, there was an official channel of communication between the prisoners and their families. It consisted of letters and postcards sent under the supervision of the German administration. Every message was censored, and its content strictly controlled. Nevertheless, there were cases where prisoners embedded coded information about their own situation or the fate of their fellow soldiers in such correspondence – but that is a story of its own. However, it is hard to imagine that during the occupation, with thousands of prisoners located so close to civilian areas, no unofficial network of communication would have developed – and its organization is remarkably interesting. This communication had a completely different character – it was part of the activities of the Polish resistance and the involvement of Allied soldiers. Thanks to these efforts, intelligence reports were smuggled out of Stalag XXA, while informati...
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Family of British POW Stands Exactly Where Their Father Was Held in Stalag XXA

Raymond was captured during the events connected to the Dunkirk operation. As a prisoner of war, he was held in the military forts of Toruń, part of the German POW camp  Stalag XXA (Stalag 20A) . Like many British POWs in Toruń, he was also sent to work in rural areas of the region. Surviving documents reveal that he spent time near Bydgoszcz, Chełmno, and Grudziądz. One particularly fascinating detail is a German record of his escape and a gap of over six months in official reports on Raymond whereabouts. Even more intriguingly, relatives recognized his handwriting in Fort XI from photographs in the Imperial War Museum. His time in the camp’s prison cell may have been connected to sabotage he reportedly carried out while working on a farm near Grudziądz — at least according to German reports. This was one of the rare families who were able to visit every confirmed location where their relative had been held. We are honored to have taken part in preserving and sharing Raymond sto...
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From London and Dubai to Toruń – Tracing Their Grandfather’s POW History at Stalag XXA

 Two cousins from different continents came to Poland to uncover the wartime past of their grandfather – a former prisoner of war held at the German Stalag XXA camp in Toruń. In recent days, we had the honor of accompanying two cousins who traveled to Toruń to visit the place where their grandfather had been imprisoned during World War II. One arrived from Dubai, the other from London – united by a shared desire to reconnect with a difficult chapter in their family history. Archival records show that their grandfather was captured near Dunkirk and transported to the Stalag XXA prisoner-of-war camp in Toruń. It is known that he was already wounded at the time and suffered from lung-related health issues, requiring medical attention. However, his stay in Toruń was short-lived. Shortly after his arrival, he was assigned to a forced labor detachment somewhere within what is now the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region. These work units were scattered across local villages and towns, and living c...
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