POW Camp in Jindřichovice: Founding, Everyday Life, Memorialization

The prisoner of war camp in Jindřichovice (German: Heinrichsgrün), located the Ore Mountains on territory modern Czech Republic, was one largest such camps First World War Austria-Hungary. In period from 1915 to 1918, tens thousands prisoners Serbia, Montenegro, Russian Empire, and Italy passed through it. Many Serbian civilians were interned addition military personnel. Over 170 buildings erected for which capable accommodating almost forty thousand surrounded by a fence with barbed wire watchtowers. whole complex autonomous, all necessary infrastructure, including bakery, hospital, laundry, ablutions, chapel. Prisoners used variety jobs vicinity, primarily related agriculture. Their labour also repair roads, extraction basalt nearby quarry, industry, at metallurgical plant Rotava construction chemical Sokolov (at that time Falknov; German: Falkenau). From 1917, situation provision food medicine began worsen camp, leading spread disease rapid increase mortality rate. total, 3,855 people died here, 2,465 Serbs Montenegrins, 1,301 Italians, 56 Russians, approximately two dozen Austro-Hungarian guards, among whom several Czechs. buried cemetery near has survived this day. After war, remains exhumed and, together soldiers newly established Yugoslavia who had previously been locations over Bohemia, transferred mausoleum, converted camp’s water supply cistern. Today, it contains about 7,190 those came former — mostly Serbs, but fought side Austria-Hungary, Slovenes, Croats, Bosnians, 189 Russians.