Bryan and Emma traveled to Toruń with one very personal goal – to uncover the fate of Bryan’s father, William, who was a prisoner of war in Stalag XXA from 1940 to 1945. Like many from his generation, William rarely spoke about his wartime experiences. That’s why this journey felt like assembling a puzzle – complex, demanding, but deeply meaningful. Through the analysis of archival documents and fragmented memories, we were able to reconstruct a highly detailed timeline of events that led to William’s capture. It all began near Dunkirk, where he was taken prisoner by the Germans and transported to the POW camp in Toruń. Further research led us to the people he was interned with, including Sam Kydd – a post-war actor who later recounted his experiences in Stalag XXA. The journey to Toruń was not just about visiting the former camp site. We wanted to show Bryan and Emma the broader context – what the city was like under occupation, the living conditions in the camp, and how the fate of p...
This blog is dedicated to people who were imprisoned in Stalag XXA in Thorn in 1939-45. We would like to show you that in the shadows of the beautiful gothic city there is also forgotten history.