Story of Stalag XXA at the Toruń Fortress Museum

During yesterday's Wednesday meeting dedicated to military history, I had the privilege of delving into the fascinating history of the Stalag XXA prisoner-of-war camp in a way that truly captivates me—through the stories of individual people.

I strived to capture the essence of my tours, transporting the audience through time and space, uncovering stories that could easily be transformed into movie scripts. These are tales of unwavering human spirit, incredible determination, and extraordinary sacrifice that endured in the harsh conditions of the prisoner-of-war camp.

Stalag XXA, one of the largest POW camps during World War II, holds countless stories of heroism, friendship, and hope. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences as a guide and shed light on the daily lives of the prisoners in Stalag XXA. My hope is that this presentation allowed for a better understanding of the remarkable relationships and bonds that formed among those deprived of their freedom.

The story of Stalag XXA is not only exceptional from a historical perspective but also deeply touching on an emotional level. It is a narrative of humanity that, despite the cruelty of war and the restrictions of camp life, managed to shine brightly. These human stories, full of drama, hope, and courage, can serve as extraordinary inspiration for film creators.

I am incredibly grateful to the hosts at the Toruń Fortress Museum for their hospitality and warm reception. I hope that we will have the chance to meet again in the future.

Comments

Thanks this trip we've discovered new facts about POW from Stalag XXA in 1945

That was wonderful trip. During three days we saw couple of places connected with POW path of Jack Stansfield. Moreover thanks his son Michael we saw notes with memories of last days in Stalag XXA in Torun. In opposit to all facts which says that prisoners left camp in late december 1945 Jack wrote that they started to march on 21 january! That means that lasts groups of POW left camp in 10 days before Torun was liberated. Fortunatley Jack survived afeter he escaped from march. He met russians army and polish partizants. Below we presents you short memories about Jack and trip to Poland... My father was called Jack Stansfield, he was born in August 1918. He was brought up in the market town of Malton in North Yorkshire where his parents were publicans. He joined the Territorial Army in March 1939 and was mobilised on the declaration of war. Jack enlisted in his local regiment joining the 5th Battalion of the Green Howards. After a short time at the Regimental HQ in Richmond, North...

Living conditions in Stalag XXA

Monthly bath in Stalag XXA Living conditions Lawrence Travers Dorins a former POW describes „fort XI was surrounded by a high bank and the fence around it with gates across the entrance road, on one side there was also a dry moat with a bridge on it. The bridge led to a tunnel” The fortress was covered with trees, bushes and earth so that the fortress could not be visible from the bird's eye. Prisoners slept in caponiers where initially were supposed to sleep Prussian soldiers. Yet PoW describes the rooms as if there were designed as rooms in the concentration camps. Rooms looked as semi tunnels. “The perpendicular walls were about 3m high and the height of the arched roof was about 5 m, wooden bunks provided sleeping spaces. Each room had only two small windows which obviously allowed no ventilation. Due to the end of the night the air was solid and everyone would have a headache due to oxygen starvation” .In those rooms kept approximately 32 men. There were three shelves whe...

Just few hours to understand life in Stalag XXA(20A) in Torun

"I will always be grateful to Pawel for helping me understand better what happened to my father when he was captured by the German army after the fighting at Dunkirk. Like many former British POWs, Dad was reluctant to tell his children very much about what he had endured during the war. We knew he spent most of the war in German POW camps, in particular one in Poland. From his army records we discovered that camp was Staleg XX-A. I contacted Pawel at very short notice recently when I was in traveling with my husband in Europe. Pawel was able to meet me in Torun to walk me through the history of Staleg XX-A and some of the forts of Torun. My father, John Wilkinson, was with the British Expeditionary Force, serving in the Light Tank Regiment of the 1st East Riding Yeomanry. We believe he fought at Cassel in France before being captured. It was extraordinary for me to walk with Pawel at Torun where the British POWs disembarked, knowing my father would hav...

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