1945 American Red Cross Map of German Camps w/ American POWs

WWII German POW camps holding Americans.

This is a poignant 1945 American National Red Cross map locating German camps holding American prisoners of war and civilian internees during the final year of World War II. Camps marked in red give geographical form to the wartime captivity of airmen, soldiers, sailors, merchant mariners, and civilians. Read alongside the Red Cross’s relief efforts, the map connects the distant places of their confinement with the families awaiting news and the vast undertaking of sending food and essential supplies to prisoners overseas.

A Closer Look

Centered on eastern Germany, coverage extends east into Poland and Czechoslovakia and south to include Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland. POW camps are highlighted in red. Various symbols mark the camps based on the activity the prisoners held there: airmen, officers, civilian internees, hospitals. Marlag and Milag, for example, were where Navy and Merchant Marine personnel were imprisoned. Indexes along the left and right sides list each camp's name, the nearest town, and its location in the map grid.

The American Red Cross and American POWs in German POW Camps

The American Red Cross had no direct contact with American POWs in Germany (or, for that matter, American POWs held by the Japanese). They did, however, assemble and send over 27 million care packages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for distribution to American POWs. These included nonperishable foods like powdered milk, coffee, and biscuits, along with other items such as cigarettes and soap. POWs were supposed to receive a package a week. However, in practice, that rarely happened; particularly as the war progressed, conditions worsened in Germany, and supply lines fell apart. Even so, when they were received, the food in the parcels played a critical role in the survival of many POWs.

The American Red Cross at Home

The American Red Cross also published bulletins in the U.S. for next of kin, aid workers, and other interested parties that were intentionally positive. It was considered essential to put forward that all Allied prisoners were well treated by the Germans, even if that was not the whole truth. The Red Cross also organized volunteers to pack the millions of parcels sent to the ICRC for distribution to POWs.

Publication History and Census

The American National Red Cross created and published this map in 1945. Only one example is cataloged in the OCLC, located at the University of Memphis.

Condition

Good. Toning and some soiling. Verso repairs to fold separations. Light wear along original fold lines.

References

OCLC 21633296.