During the Second World War, he was taken prisoner by the Germans in northern France and, after escaping from his first prison in Laufen Castle in Bavaria, he was transferred to Colditz in Saxony on 10 November 1940.
The picturesque castle with its white gables served as a special prisoner of war camp for Allied officers from autumn 1939 until liberation in 1945 under the name "Oflag IV-C". Colditz Castle gained international fame, particularly due to many spectacular escapes and escape attempts. The Escape Museum in the Civil Servants' House brings the adventurous escape attempts of the Allied officers to life with an exhibition. It houses tools, equipment and much more related to the topic of escape - a highlight that visitors to the Leipzig region should not miss!
Renaissance Castle Colditz – A Changeable History
With its almost 1000-year history, Colditz Castle looks back on eventful times. The first historical mention of a "castle ward" in Colditz dates back to 1046. An interesting fact: the actual town of Colditz only emerged around the market in 1200. This means that the castle complex towered over the current town area almost 150 years earlier.
Colditz experienced its first heyday as a hunting lodge under the art-loving and worldly-wise Saxon Elector Frederick the Wise (1486–1525). After a fire caused by the baker's apprentice Clemens Bock in 1504, which devastated large parts of the town, the town hall, the church and the castle, the castle was rebuilt in the early Renaissance style after 1506 and especially around 1520, extensively expanded and refurbished. Large parts of these buildings, especially in the Prince's House, have been preserved, right down to the painted beamed ceilings. In 1523, parts of the forest near the castle were cleared to build a wild animal enclosure.
Colditz Castle was one of the most important castle buildings in Central Europe at the time. The famous court painter of the Electorate of Saxony, Lucas Cranach the Elder, immortalized the Colditz landmark as a decorative accessory in his 1523 painting “The Golden Age”. Colditz Castle experienced a second heyday under the Saxon Elector Christian I (1560–1591) and his wife Sophie of Brandenburg (1568–1622), who was involved in charitable work in Colditz and whose traces can be found everywhere in the town. Augustus the Strong of Saxony was the last Saxon ruler to visit Colditz Castle with his hunting party. In 1787, much of the inventory was sold, and in 1800 most of the zoo was converted into a state forest.
In 1829, a state care facility for the incurably mentally ill was set up in the castle in place of the workhouse built in 1803. Well-known personalities such as Ludwig Schumann, the second youngest son of the composer Robert Schumann, was one of the most famous patients at the Colditz institution. In the years 1933 to 1934, the castle served as a protective custody camp for up to 600 anti-fascists.
“Oflag IV C” prison camp
During the Second World War, Colditz Castle served as a prison camp for Allied officers from Great Britain, the Commonwealth, France, Belgium, Holland and Poland under the name "Oflag IVC". The prisoners lived in the rear courtyard in the former princely quarters. Outside, the flat terraces surrounding the prison buildings were supervised by armed guards and secured with barbed wire.
Sports and theater, making music and learning languages were part of the prisoners' daily activities. On April 16, 1945, American soldiers captured Colditz Castle and freed its inmates. After the American occupation was relieved by the Red Army in June 1945, the castle served as a collection point for expropriated and expelled landowners and their families in October and November 1945. From 1946, Colditz Castle housed a hospital.
The castle is now owned by the Free State of Saxony and is part of the state castle company "Castles and Fortresses in the Mulden Valley" under the management of Schloss Rochlitz. The Schloss Colditz eV society has been committed to the preservation and cultural, commercial and museum use of the castle since 1996. The historic rooms can be rented for celebrations and weddings. The castle also houses a youth hostel and the Saxony State Music Academy.
Of daring attempts and successful escapes
Steep cliffs, barbed wire, guard posts and floodlights gave the prison camp a reputation for being escape-proof. Nevertheless, between 1939 and 1945, more than 300 escape attempts were made from the prison camp, 31 of which were successful. The escape attempts, some of which were spectacular, were made into several books and films after the war, which made “Colditz Castle” very well known, especially in Great Britain, and have always attracted visitors from the United Kingdom. The most recent film to be released in 2005 was “Colditz – Escape to Freedom”.
The Colditz Castle Escape Museum is dedicated to this exciting part of the castle's history. With authentic tools and equipment as well as a replica of a homemade glider that two prisoners used to escape over the Mulde, the museum brings the castle's fascinating history to life. Also on display are parts of a 44-meter-long escape tunnel and a homemade wooden sewing machine for making fake uniforms. An artistic approach to life in the camp is provided by the exhibition of watercolors by the British prisoner of war William F. Anderson, which impressively depicts the everyday life of the Allied officers.
Furthermore, an art installation in the basement of the hall house commemorates the victims of the early "euthanasia" murders in the Colditz sanatorium and nursing home from 1938 to 1939. The Leipzig artist Thomas Moecker installed 84 mattresses cast in concrete, turning Colditz Castle into an impressive memorial site. The artwork commemorates the 84 psychiatric patients who died here.
The Escape Museum is open to visitors all year round from Monday to Sunday. Guided tours are offered daily in German and English.
Culture and Nature in Colditz and Surrounding Areas
The location in the triangle between Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz makes Colditz Castle an ideal starting point for exploring the city and the surrounding area. The town of Colditz, with its original restored town houses and the Renaissance town hall from 1657, exudes a very special charm that can be enjoyed on a relaxed stroll through the historic streets. A stay in the outdoor seating area of the castle café in the sunshine, with delicious ice cream, coffee and cake, lets you forget space and time in the cozy surroundings.
Events in and around Colditz Castle
Colditz Castle is a versatile venue all year round. Music lovers can enjoy the monthly Blüthner concert series "Colditz Classic" in summer as well as various jazz, pop and song evenings. The cabaret series "Laughter is healthy" and various exhibitions offer a different kind of experience. Colditz Castle exudes a special flair at the beginning of December with Christmas romance between its time-honored walls for the "Colditz Castle Christmas": Christmas decorations, candles and all kinds of culinary delights are offered in the rooms and both courtyards. Traditional handicrafts including wood art, stoneware, handmade paper, handmade soaps and much more are sold in the cellar vaults.