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POW Photographs - How, Why and By Whom?

Article about: Question: Does any one know or have a theory about the circumstances surrounding how, who or why private (I'm assuming German) photographers were allowed into POW compounds to photograph All

  1. #1

    Default POW Photographs - How, Why and By Whom?

    Question: Does any one know or have a theory about the circumstances surrounding how, who or why private (I'm assuming German) photographers were allowed into POW compounds to photograph Allied POW's? I'm not talking about photos made for propaganda, I'm specifically interested in images made of and for individual POW's. I have several that were taken at Karlsruhe and at a camp in East Prussia. Any ideas??

  2. #2
    kc1
    kc1 is offline
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    Default Re: POW Photographs - How, Why and By Whom?

    They got paid, probably greasing some palms enroute. This also seems to have happened during ww2, seen pictures of football and cricket teams. Presumably pow weren't allowed cameras, i.d cards military secrets etc, so they must have been taken by Germans either officially or by servicemen with cameras. German servicemen seem to have had much greater access to cameras than certainly British servicemen if not U.S. There was a great camera and lens manufacturing industry in Germany prior to ww2 and was comparitively affordable as a result.

  3. #3

    Default Re: POW Photographs - How, Why and By Whom?

    Quote by kc1 View Post
    They got paid, probably greasing some palms enroute. This also seems to have happened during ww2, seen pictures of football and cricket teams. Presumably pow weren't allowed cameras, i.d cards military secrets etc, so they must have been taken by Germans either officially or by servicemen with cameras. German servicemen seem to have had much greater access to cameras than certainly British servicemen if not U.S. There was a great camera and lens manufacturing industry in Germany prior to ww2 and was comparitively affordable as a result.
    I recently spoke with the son of a WWI POW. He told me that his father explained to him that the commandants of some camps allowed local photographers to come into the compound in order to make a few extra dollars, he presumed that some arrangement was made before hand between the photographer and the commander of the camp. Money is always the grease of commerce.

  4. #4

    Default Re: POW Photographs - How, Why and By Whom?

    Remember that there was good propaganda value in allowing PoWs to have photos taken, they could then send them home, showing that they were well taken care of.
    Best
    gus

  5. #5

    Default Re: POW Photographs - How, Why and By Whom?

    I have quite a few postcards of german POWs in my collection so i believe the trade must have been quite common in both countries.

  6. #6

    Default Re: POW Photographs - How, Why and By Whom?

    1 Album only POW !!
    Italy
    german Soldaten
    newspaper , theater usw.


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