Colditz

Colditz - darkometer rating : 1 - Possibly the most famous German POW prison of WWII , thanks to the legend of high-profile escapes that have been celebrated in books and films, especially in Britain . To cater for this special interest, extended tours in English are offered that concentrate on this part of the history of the place. And they're pretty good too. > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: Out of the countless places that have some dark association, many only become (dark) tourist destinations through modern media influence – and Colditz is a prime example of this! Colditz Castle in the town of the same name, located in Saxony, Germany , served as a special POW prison, where the Nazis detained captured enemy officers, many of them British , during WWII . The prison's official designation was "Oflag IV-C" (for "Offiziers-Lager" – 'officer camp'). It was deemed impossible to escape from here, given the castle's hilltop location with sheer cliffs on three sides and a double courtyard with easy to guard gates. Still, some prisoners tried, and a few even with success – see below. The treatment of the captured officers at this prison was not so bad, however, and in full accordance with the Geneva conventions. As such these prisoners had it much easier than those millions incarcerated in the Nazis' concentration camps and other regular POW camps all over Germany and in the occupied territories (especially Poland !).