The prisoners of war who made Little Britain in Berlin

by Guest Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:51 pm

When thousands of British men were interned in Germany at the start of World War One, they rolled up their sleeves and made the best of it. In their prison camp on the River Spree in Berlin, they built a Little Britain - using the barbed wire as a trellis on which a thousand flowers bloomed.
More than 5,000 British civilians found themselves caught in Germany when war broke out.
They were rounded up and held captive for the duration of hostilities in sheds and stables on a racetrack at Ruhleben, on the western outskirts of Berlin.
Unlike prisoner of war camps, Ruhleben was not a labour camp. These were interned civilians and the over-riding obligation imposed was not to escape. There were 200 German guards but they stayed on the perimeter, allowing the prisoners "home rule".
Accordingly, the inmates selected "captains" for each block, with a "captains' committee" running the camp, and sub-committees organising everything from the camp's own postage stamps to a police service.
The result was a version of the homeland in the heart of enemy territory. Streets and squares in the camp were named Trafalgar Square, Bond Street and Marble Arch. But the captains also created a mini-British Colony, with all the class distinctions and racial prejudices of the era.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28420676

by Irn Bru Thu Jul 31, 2014 8:46 am

One of the inmates became the inspiration for the football anthem of Derby County and a great anthem it is - 'Steve Bloomer is watchin'.

Want to hear it?

by Guest Thu Jul 31, 2014 8:49 am

Interesting Irn and that does add to the history

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The prisoners of war who made Little Britain in Berlin

The prisoners of war who made Little Britain in Berlin

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