Abby Allcox, a graduate student in the Department of History, will lead a virtual lunch and learn on German prisoners of war in Milwaukee on Friday, March 15, at noon.
During World War II, 39% of prisoner-of-war camps were created in Wisconsin to house captured German soldiers. One of the state’s largest camps, operated from 1945 to 1946, was at Billy Mitchell Field in Milwaukee.
German prisoners were put to work in factories and on farms to help mitigate the labor shortage created by the war. Despite concerns about having POWs nearby and a few escape attempts, Milwaukee found a way to make peace with the enemy soldiers working among them. While all POWs had to be repatriated back to Germany after the war, some Wisconsinites created friendships that continued long after the war had ended.
This is a free event through the Milwaukee County Historical Society. Visit the Zoom link to the event online.
