Stalag VIII-A
| Stalag VIII-A | |
|---|---|
| Görlitz (Zgorzelec), Lower Silesia | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Prisoner-of-war camp |
| Controlled by | Nazi Germany |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51°07′17″N 15°00′36″E / 51.12152°N 15.01002°E |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1939–1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Polish POWs and civilians, Belgian, French, Soviet, British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, South African, Italian, Yugoslav, Slovak, American and other Allied POWs |
Stalag VIII-A was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp, located just to the south of the town of Görlitz in Lower Silesia, east of the River Neisse. The location of the camp lies in today's Polish town of Zgorzelec, which lies over the river from Görlitz.
It was originally set up as a Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth) camp, converted in October 1939 to house Polish prisoners (both soldiers and civilians), and later held up to 30,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs), including Belgians, the French, Soviets, Britons, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Italians, Yugoslavs, Slovaks and Americans, before its evacuation in February 1945. Its most famous inmate was French composer Olivier Messiaen.