Stalag VIII B Lamsdorf and Teschen: Documents
Extent and Medium
c163 frames
Creator(s)
- IG Farben
Biographical History
Stalag VIII B Lamsdorf also known as Kommando E562, was actually a part of the Auschwitz/ Monowitz concentration camp complex. The inmates consisted exclusively of British POWs, the majority of whom had been taken prisoner in North Africa during the campaigns of 1941-1942 and had earlier been in camps in Italy.
The first transport of 200 POWs arrived in Monowitz on 16 September 1943. 600 more followed a week later. By the end of the year the camp held 1200 POWs. They were destined to work in a dye factory producing material under the management of IG Farben for the German war effort. The prisoners were stubborn and obstructive from the beginning. However, under threat of violence they reluctantly agreed to carry out the work, albeit at a pace that barely kept up with the concentration camp inmates, who were treated much more harshly. By late Spring 1944 the numbers of inmates had reduced to a few hundred, most of the others having been moved to other camps.
See 'Notes' for comments from a reader.
Archival History
Custody of the material prior to deposit is unknown.
Scope and Content
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This microfilm collection of reports and papers documents conditions at Stalag VIII B Lamsdorf and Teschen POW camps. It includes camp reports, correspondence, reports of escapes, and statements by prisoners.
Camp reports, including statistics on inmates; deaths/ discharges; executions; health statistics; organisational changes
Stalag VIII B Lamsdorf, Sep 1943
Stalag VIII B Teschen, Dec 1943
Stalag VIII B Teschen, Mar 1944
Stalag VIII B Teschen, Jun 1944
Stalag VIII B Teschen, Jul 1944
Stalag VIII B Teschen, Nov 1944
frames 1-41
Dienstanweisung über den Waffengebrauch- Stalag VIII B, 17 Oct 1942, frames 42-50
Feldurteil of W. Conan, frames 50-55
Various documents re Stalag VIII B Teschen, frames 56-60
Bound folder containing:
Correspondence with the Swiss legation in Germany
Documents concerning the death of E. Krause No. 6718/306,5./Ld.Schtz.Btl.
Correspondence from British camp leader RSM POW No.19 Stalag VIII B
Reports on POW escapes
Complaints by Swiss on conditions at Reserve Lazarett, Laurahuette, Kreis Kattowitz
Statements by POWs: Nos. 9974 Jarvis; 10419, Duane; 11651, Day
Arrest warrants of Jarvis Duane and Ray
Report on execution of L. Reynolds
Frames 60-163
Conditions Governing Access
Open
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Use R:\Document collections\MF54\Working Images\23\Wiener Docs frames 294-460
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Microfilm
Note(s)
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf was not ‘known as Kommando E562’. E562 was a prisoners-of war working party at the Janina coal mine, near Libiaz. It was one of more than 700 working parties administered from Lamsdorf. Stalag VIIIB was never a part of the Auschwitz/Monowitz concentration camp complex, although one of the Lamsdorf working parties was based there. Working Party E715 Auschwitz III (Monowitz) Monowitz was administered from Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf. Stalag VIIIF housed Soviet and Polish prisoners. The Lamsdorf camp was not ‘split up’ on the contrary, the two camps there, Stalag VIIIB and Stalag VIIIF were combined (administratively, though geographically separate) and re-numbered as Stalag 344. It is not true that many of the prisoners (and Arbeitskommandos) were transferred to two new base camps Stalag VIIIC Sagan and Stalag VIIID Teschen. Stalag VIIIC Sagan was not involved. The camp at Teschen, although about 100 miles from Lamsdorf, had been joined to Stalag VIIIB (Lamsdorf) in September 1942 as a kind of "branch" camp and was then called VIIIB Zweilager Teschen. The camps at Teschen and Lamsdorf were ‘separated’ towards the end of December 1943 and the number Stalag VIIIB was applied just to the Teschen camp. The camps at Lamsdorf, that is, the former VIIIB and VIIIF, became Stalag 344. In that month more than 10,000 POWs were transferred from the very overcrowded camp at Lamsdorf to Teschen.
Subjects
- Teschen (prisoner of war camp)
- Prisoner of war camps
- Lamsdorf (prisoner of war camp)
- Documents