WARTIME GUIDES

 Toruń, famous for its Gothic walls, Nicolaus Copernicus, and gingerbread, recently welcomed special guests from England. Sally and her family came to honor the memory of her father, a prisoner of Stalag XXA – a German POW camp located, among other places, in the forts of the Toruń Fortress during World War II. The group, consisting of eight people, represented multiple generations, adding deep significance to this pilgrimage. Preparations for the Journey to Sites of Memory The planning for this meaningful journey began in February 2023. Through systematic communication and thorough research, the family gathered detailed information about the places linked to their relative’s time in Stalag XXA. Our shared goal was to learn about the camp’s history in-depth and pay tribute to their ancestor who endured the hardships of captivity. The knowledge acquired allowed us to chart a route that highlighted Toruń's most crucial sites connected to POW heritage. Tour Route and Key Sites of Stal...

November in Poland is a unique time dedicated to reflection and remembering those who have passed away. It's a month when cemeteries glow with the light of thousands of candles, and memorial sites take on special significance. Toruń, a city with a rich and diverse history, also holds painful memories from World War II that are worth exploring—especially the stories of the prisoners of war from Stalag XXA. Memorial Sites Dedicated to the Prisoners of War In addition to its famous landmarks and charming Old Town, Toruń is home to places that remind us of the tragic fate of thousands of POWs held in Stalag XXA. This German-run prisoner-of-war camp housed soldiers from the Allied forces, including British, Russian, and Italian troops, who endured some of the harshest conditions during the war. One of the most significant memorials in Toruń is the monument dedicated to the victims of the Stalag XXA POW camp . In November, when the city is enveloped in a spirit of remembrance, this monum...

An visit from a family from Australia and the USA, eager to learn about their father who served in the 2/5 Australian General Hospital during the war, became an opportunity to uncover the history of POW camps in Poland. The trip to Stalag XXA in Toruń also revealed an unexpected connection to the city's Jewish heritage. It was an incredible journey through time. We had been preparing for quite a while for Jill's trip, who came with her family from Australia and partly from the USA. Her relatives wanted to visit the places where Jill's father, who served in the 2/5 Australian General Hospital during the war, had been imprisoned. Thanks to memories and preserved documents, we managed to visit key locations and sketch a larger picture of the organization and history of POW camps, including Stalag XXA. This story, by pure coincidence, also revealed a connection to Jewish heritage, providing an opportunity to bring that part of Toruń’s history closer. We are glad that we could h...

This extraordinary journey allowed relatives of those imprisoned in the German POW camp in Toruń, Stalag XXA, to visit the very places where their loved ones were once held captive. Among them was Evelyn, who sought information about her father, who spent many long years in captivity. The harsh labor and conditions took a toll on his health. According to family stories, he even attempted to escape, for which he was confined in solitary. Thanks to extensive documentation, we were able to locate all the places of his imprisonment, and in most cases, we could even enter them. The uniqueness of this trip was further enhanced by the presence of Evelyn's closest friend and her grandchildren. The participation of the younger generations is particularly significant, as the responsibility of passing on the memory of these events will soon rest on their shoulders. We are grateful to have been able to assist in this meaningful endeavor. 

 James came to Toruń, driven by the history and memories of his grandfather, who spent many years in German captivity as a prisoner in Stalag XXA, enduring long years of suffering and the cruelties of war.  As a young soldier, he was captured near Arras and transported to Toruń. Until now, we didn't have detailed information about the exact locations of the internment, but thanks to the incredible fragments of memories shared by James, we were able to add more details to our understanding of the camp.  Stories about the Germans burning boots, the dramatic events on the frozen Vistula River during the Long March, and the touching story of our guest's mother's name will stay with us forever. We hope that James also found what he was looking for.  We all the best o allow him to touch the history that has left so many traces in our city, even if only for a moment. Thank you for your visit. You can count on us in your further searches...

The journey of two sisters from Scotland to Toruń had an extraordinary goal: to find the places where their father stayed during World War II. They knew only a few details about his auxiliary service in a hospital, but their determination and desire to discover their family history led them through the fascinating corners of the city. Upon arriving in Toruń, we began with conversations and analyzing the scant information they had. They knew their father worked in a hospital, but the exact location remained a mystery. After a lengthy discussion, we managed to determine that he was most likely assigned to the medical facility on Jęczmienna Street. However, this was not the only clue. Family stories indicated that their father used to skate on handmade skates on the moat around one of the forts in winter. This led us to Fort XIV, the only fort in Toruń with a moat, which served as a hospital for Stalag XXA prisoners during World War II. The discovery of these places evoked a wave of ...

As part of doctoral research dedicated to the phenomenon of military cultural tourism, with a particular focus on prisoner-of-war camps, I would be grateful if you could complete a short survey. Your responses will certainly enrich our understanding of tourists' needs and help improve the tourist offerings and commemoration of POW heritage, not only in Toruń. The survey results will be used for research purposes. The study is anonymous. Thank you very much in advance for your time. Best regards, Paweł Bukowski Ładuję…

 It's amazing, but there's much truth in the saying that "time flies." The preparations for this journey took nearly a year. Visiting the designated points took just a few hours. Paradoxically, the years of captivity in the Stalag XXA prisoner-of-war camp can be summarized in just one day. Thanks to the collected materials, three brothers had the opportunity to explore the city and see the places where their father was held. Not all of them, because the preserved book of memories contains many more villages and towns where their loved one worked. It is also gratifying that the route of the Long March was described very precisely, allowing us once again to enrich ourselves with invaluable sources of knowledge from witnesses to the sad days of captivity in Stalag XXA camp in Toruń and its surroundings.

That were wonderful hours in Torun.  Again old documents helped us to provide retracing warpaths of Arthur form Wiltshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion who was captured and moved to Stalag XXA in Torun. Arthur spent whole war in camp in Torun but in docs were also information about staying in working commando 172. This time the most helpful were medical documentation thanks which we could see all places connected to his story. Unfortunatley this story has not happy end. In 1945 during evacuation of POW from Stalag XXA in Torun, Arthur died after 4 days of marching.  Its hard to write about what was the casue, nevertheless he was buried now in Poznan where his family reach too. We are happy that we could help another Stalag XXA family members which deepen their relative's war story. It is working in both ways because each trip make us enrich and by colleting priceless little pieces of stories we have bigger picture of  reality in POW camp.

May and her husband Peter crossed the borders of Toruń, ready to discover places connected to their family history. Their journey had a special purpose - to uncover traces left by World War II in their family's story. Their relative was one of many soldiers from the Seaforth Highlanders who, as prisoners of Stalag XXA in Toruń, had to endure the horrors of those times. Thanks to preserving fragments of memories and family stories, Piotr and his wife had the opportunity to delve into the history of their loved one. Acquiring several basic facts was an important step for them in understanding what he went through during his stay in the German prisoner of war camp Stalag XXA. The visit to Toruń was not only a journey into their family's past, but also an exploration of the history of Stalag XXA itself. By visiting preserved places associated with the camp's history and its prisoners, Piotr and his wife could feel the closeness of those events and understand how much they chang...

  Another visit during which we learned more about the daily life in the camp, as well as the desire of relatives who visit us to explore the wartime paths of their ancestors. Andrew, along with his friend, decided to come to Toruń for a few hours to learn about the history of the camp and to visit the places where Andrew's father had been. Despite the short visit, well-preserved documentation and compiled memories allowed us to meet these expectations and show everything that was possible to see in such a short time. We truly admire this determination and eagerness to uncover family histories shown by our guests.

Garry, the grandson of a British prisoner of war, was seeking information about his grandfather's wartime history, about which he never had the chance to inquire further. He shared many interesting anecdotes and brought to light the story of his relative, who stood out with exceptional drawing talent. And here, a magnificent thread began, as during the museum tour, Garry stumbled upon sketches by his grandfather, which a family of one of the prisoners had handed over to us over 14 years ago. Fortunately, we were able to exchange information and enrich our knowledge that the prisoner whose family had previously visited Toruń was a close friend during Garry's grandfather's time as a POW. How many more such stories await discovery? Camp visits surpass any series or movie, and on top of that, they are real...