Dating back to the 11th century, Colditz Castle in eastern Germany has a history. After the outbreak of the Second World War, it became a prisoner-of-war camp. The Nazis believed its tall, thick stone walls would prevent any possibility of escape, sending prisoners who’d escaped from other camps to the castle. But, was their prison really escape-proof?
10 Castle History
Schloss Colditz dates back to at least 1046, when it was first mentioned in writing, in a marriage document. Henry III, king of Saxony, gave the castle to his wife, Agnes of Poitou. Ownership passed to various noble German families until it was destroyed with the adjoining town in 1430.
The Hussites, followers of Jan Hus, destroyed the original castle. Hus was burned at the stake in 1415. The castle was rebuilt, though information about who rebuilt it is lost to time.
9 State Institute for the Incurable Mentally Ill
The castle remained a royal possession until the late 18th century when its purpose changed. The Schloss Colditz website notes that it became “a country workhouse for beggars and tramps” and a haven for disabled and mentally troubled people, who were given work in the castle, spinning, tailoring, or gardening.
By 1829, Colditz was officially the State Institute for the Incurable Mentally Ill. Patients were treated without “shackles and chains,” a shocking innovation at the time. Under Christian August Fürchtegott Hayne, the institution hired nursing staff and continued this role until 1928.
8 A Sinister Turn
In 1933, when Hitler became Germany’s Chancellor, events at Colditz took a sinister turn. The Nazis used the castle to imprison socialists and other dissidents. The regime was one of severe isolation, flogging, and torture.
In 1938, the castle became a mental institution again, but this time, it wasn’t benevolent. There was no intention to cure the inmates; rather, it was a place for them to die. The Nazis didn’t value the mentally incapacitated and were content to let them perish. Within months, 84 people died there.
7 Oflag IV C
In 1939, Schloss Colditz was repurposed as Oflag IV C, a prisoner of war camp for the most problematic prisoners—those who had already attempted to escape. The Germans believed no one could escape the medieval schloss with its thick stone walls.
To ensure the 700 rooms were escape-proof, armed German guards patrolled the premises. The land around the castle was open and flat, making escape seem impossible. Putting all the Allied prisoners with a taste for escaping in one place proved to be a recipe for disaster.
6 The First Successful Escape
There were more escape attempts from Colditz than any other German POW camp. Of the 130 men who attempted escape, about 30 succeeded. The first successful escapee was a Frenchman, Alain Le Ray, a general in the French Army who became a member of the French Resistance.
Le Ray was involved in a tunnel-digging escape plan but grew frustrated. While outside the castle walls, he hid in a derelict house, evaded the guards, made it to Nuremberg by train, robbed a man for money, and reached Switzerland by clinging to a locomotive.
5 Lieutenant Airey Neave
The first British officer to escape successfully was Lieutenant Airey Neave. Captured in 1940, he was imprisoned in Stalag XXA, from where he escaped, but was then moved to Colditz. His first attempt, wearing a German uniform, failed in August 1941.
Neave’s next bid for freedom the following January succeeded. He escaped with three others in fake German uniforms. They split into pairs, but Neave and a Dutch officer, Tony Luteyn, made it to Switzerland. Later, he became a politician but was killed by an IRA bomb in 1979.
4 Flight Lieutenant Hedley Fowler
Flight Lieutenant Hedley Fowler of the Royal Air Force also escaped Colditz Castle. With five others, disguised as Polish workmen and Germans, Fowler escaped via a tunnel, its entrance concealed in an office. Wearing civilian clothes, they headed for the Swiss border.
Four were recaptured, but Fowler and Dutch officer Damiaen Joan van Doorninck reached Switzerland. Fowler, promoted to squadron leader, became a test pilot. In March 1944, he crashed while testing a Hawker Typhoon and died.
3 Goon Baiting
The British officers liked to infuriate their German guards, whom they called “goons.” Historian Ben McIntyre said that “a huge amount of ingenuity went into this activity: teasing [the guards], mocking them, whistling on parade, refusing to stand up straight—anything the prisoners could do to drive them mad.” These tactics were known as “goon baiting.”
McIntyre shared a bizarre episode where British officers found a wasp’s nest and captured wasps, imprisoning them in matchboxes. They attached cigarette papers with “Deutschland kaput” and released the wasps while on parade. The Germans’ reaction was not recorded.
2 Colditz Cock
The most daring escape plan involved building a glider, called the “Colditz Cock,” secretly within the castle chapel. British officer Lieutenant Tony Rolt devised the plan. He realized the chapel roof could be a launching point. Two RAF pilots, Jack Best and Bill Goldfinch, built the aircraft, supervising 12 other prisoners.
Using a book from the prison library, Aircraft Design, they grabbed materials they could find. The launch involved dropping a bathtub filled with concrete attached by pulleys to pull the glider along a ramp built with furniture. Before the plan could be used, the camp was liberated, and the scheme was abandoned.
1 Liberation
American soldiers reached Colditz in April 1945. SS troops prepared to defend the town. The Germans had moved some prisoners, and an order was issued to relocate the British captives. However, Lieutenant Colonel William Tod told the commandant his men were staying.
The POWs draped British and French flags, but the Americans bombed the prison, unaware it was a camp. The flags were spotted, and the bombardment ended without casualties. On April 18, American soldiers entered the castle, and the prisoners were free.
What do you think was the most daring escape attempt? Leave your comment below!
