Results found: 1

Search results

Search:
in the keywords: prisoner-of-war camp

Sort By:

Limit search:

Pamięć zafałszowana. Przypadek „hitlerowskiego obozu koncentracyjnego” w Boguszach/Prostkach

100%

Marcinkiewicz S. M.

Zapiski Historyczne

2023

vol. 88

issue 4

67-91

The history of the Nazi camp in Bogusze was initially documented during the Polish People’s Republic period, a time marked by limited research opportunities and constraints put on memory policy. The camp’s history was altered through the process of remembrance formation instituted by the Polish Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy. In the 1960s, a legend emerged surrounding the alleged execution of Italian prisoners of war held at the camp in Bogusze, and a guerrilla ambush of SS soldiers near the town of Ełk. This narrative first appeared in the verification documents of Władysław Świacki and Czesław Nalborski in 1964, gaining prominence through the literary work of Aleksander Omiljanowicz, published in 1965. This legend found its way into numerous scholarly publications, resulting in a distorted representation of the camp’s history. The absence of comprehensive source research perpetuated false narratives concerning the period of the camp’s existence, its names, size, and the identity and number of its victims. To address this, the author of this article conducted archival and source research to verify various episodes in the camp’s history. The camp in Bogusze existed from 1941 to 1944 and experienced a series of name and purpose changes. From June 1941 to June 1942, it was known as Oflag 56 and hosted Soviet POWs; from July 1942 to November 1942, it was still used to detain Soviet POWs under the name Stalag I E; and from 2 November 1942 to 3 January 1943, Polish Jews were held in the camp, which was then referred to as Sammellager. From January 1943 to May 1944, the camp in Bogusze was again used to detain Soviet POWs, this time under the name Stalag I F/Z Prostken. Additionally, the camp, referred to as Stalag I B/PR, was used to hold interned Italians between September 1943 and May 1944. In January and February 1944, Volksdeutsche evacuated from Ukraine were hosted in Lager Bogusche, and Polish residents of frontline villages and towns were held at Stalag 373 from May to December 1944. At its peak, the camp encompassed an area of 30 hectares. Post-war investigations suggest that approximately 25,000 individuals may be buried in the camp’s cemetery and execution site.

Refine search results

1 Zapiski Historyczne

1 Marcinkiewicz S. M.

1 2023

Search results

Pamięć zafałszowana. Przypadek „hitlerowskiego obozu koncentracyjnego” w Boguszach/Prostkach