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Evacuation of Stalag XXA and Operation Roland


This is a translation of an article from the Nowości newspaper from 2016, which I wrote about the evacuation of the camp and the first days after the liberation.

Operation Roland

In late January 1945, the sounds of Russian artillery were already audible in the center of Toruń, signaling the approaching Red Army. During this time, Franz Jakob, the mayor of Toruń, implemented the pre-prepared 1944 plan "Roland," which entailed the evacuation of civilians, prisoners of war, and forced laborers from the city.

The operation was divided into three stages:

  • "Roland Erwartung": Propaganda activities.

  • "Roland I": The evacuation by train of children, women, the elderly, the sick, and those requiring care.

  • "Roland II": The remaining population was to be evacuated from Toruń.

In reality, residents sought safety by any means possible.

Panic on the Roads

Accounts from that time mention crowded roads, panic, and uncontrollable chaos. Years of propaganda about the brutality of Russian soldiers had taken its toll.

Across the Vistula River, in the Stalag XXA prisoner-of-war camp, there was also unrest. On Sunday, January 21, around 3 a.m., gunfire caused panic among prisoners crowded in forts and wooden barracks. During nighttime roll calls, they were instructed to take only essential items: food, blankets, and coats. Similar directives were given to prisoners working in nearby farms and factories. Within a few hours, thousands of soldiers were ready for what would be their longest march of the war.

British soldier Jack Stansfield recorded these moments:

"All night, we heard bursts from anti-aircraft positions. Russian planes circled over the city, and in the distance, we heard the roar of powerful explosions. Around 7 a.m., we received our last Red Cross parcels and, marching in columns, left the camp. The frost reached 20 degrees. Along the way, we passed prisoners in striped uniforms; some lay dead in ditches. On the road between prisoners, German trucks hurried by, and groups of German soldiers ran past."

Among the marching column was Australian medic, Private Stan Bobridge, who recalled:

"The German guards were completely terrified and disoriented. We wore uniforms, and they tried to push us forward to see what was happening and draw the first Russian fire. The safest course was to keep our heads down and stay quiet. When we crossed the frozen Vistula, the Russians bombed the barracks we had just left."

Despite the "Roland" plan's aim for a complete camp evacuation, some prisoners managed to stay in Toruń. A group of Britons remained in the Glinki barracks, choosing to surrender to the Russians.

"The next morning, there were no guards in or around the camp. We only saw a few groups of Germans digging trenches. Around 4 p.m., soldiers in white camouflage appeared near the barracks; it turned out to be Russian reconnaissance. We tried to communicate with them, but they ignored us and moved on. Some Russian prisoners ran after them, but the soldiers opened fire, forcing them back to the camp," according to preserved accounts.

Columns of Prisoners

Shortly after the fighting ended, columns of German prisoners and civilians, for whom Operation Roland had not brought freedom, began arriving in Toruń. The former occupiers were placed in Fort XV. Thus began a new chapter in the history of a place few remember today. Only a few accounts have survived. Similar hardships befell civilians.

"We lay more than twenty people in one room. We lay on straw full of fleas and lice. Interrogations were also frequent; we were constantly questioned about the SS. I was beaten several times," recalled Erich Abramowski.

"At night, prisoners were driven into the corridors with batons. Women were not spared. The 'German pigs' were constantly threatened with batons. Beatings occurred at the slightest offense; prisoners were also killed. We worked in Toruń and nearby farms; many prisoners collapsed from exhaustion during marches to work or during work itself. Those who couldn't get up were shot. The Rudak camp was hell. How we survived those conditions is a mystery to me," recalled a German woman from Elbląg.

The camp was dissolved in September 1946. Many prisoners were sent to Potulice; some were transported deep into Russia. Mr. Gehrmann described moments before departure to Vorkuta:

"We were taken by trucks to the Toruń station, where we were placed in freight cars. We were told we were going to work in Upper Silesian mines for six months and then would be released home. How eagerly we believed this news."

Photo from Kurt Grimm's collection, part of the Regional Museum in Toruń's collection.

source: Torun, 8.02.1940. Photo from Kurt Grimm's collection, part of the Regional Museum in Toruń's collection
Link to the photo:



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