Prisoner of War Hospital Gottingen

[dianmon]

Hello to all,

my cousin recently gave me some family papers to help in my research into our family history.

Amongst these papers were a photograph, a translated certificate of death, and a photograph of my g,g uncle who died in 1918.

I have tried to scan them onto this site but failed,so I will have to type it instead.

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On the translation there is a faint outline of some sort of coat of arms and the number 4206

Translation.

Certificate of Death.

No 1230

Gottingen, 27th November 1918

The Chief Medical Officer,Prisoner of War Hospital,Gottingen,has notified that Wilfred Branch,gas fitter,English,Private in the 6th Machine Gun Corps.

Aged 21,single. Religion Anglican. Son of (Christian name unknown) Branch.Resident at 103 Malefant Street,Cardiff,S,Wales.

Born Cardiff,S,Wales.

Died at The Prisoner of War Hospital,Gottingen,on the 24 November 1918 at 8pm.

Further particulars regarding the deceased are unknown.

The Registrar.

Signed for: Vollbrecht.

It is hereby certified that the above extract is a true copy from the Chief Death Registrar in the Registry Office at Gottingen.

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I have a copy of Wlfred James Branch's grave and somebody has written on the bottom of it that the grave is in Niederzwehren,plot 7 row D Grave no 3.

I would love to know more about this prisoner of war camp,and how long Wilf was a prisoner there,also--did he die of wounds or something else.

I hope the above might interest some of your members.

Regards.

Dianmon

[Doug Johnson]

Dianmon,

Göttingen according to Mrs P-H,

Old university town (pop 37,500) The prison camp is situated on the side of a hill on the outskirts of Göttingen. British prisoners sent away from here November 1916. Library. Classes and lectures held in the camp under Professor Stange of the University. 10th Army Corps.

British prisoners were not away for long, however there were only 10 British officers and 69 men registered there in October 1918.

Prof Carl Stange wrote a book about Göttingen called "Das Gefengenenlager in Göttingen" published in 1916.

The camp was a propaganda camp mainly due to the involvement of Prof Stange. It was the first camp to receive a YMCA hut described as follows;

Göttingen was the first camp to have a YMCA building. Dedicated on April 15th 1915 it was 30ft by 90ft. It contained a main hall 30ft by 60ft for worship by all denominations, for concerts and lectures and as a reading room. It also had a smaller hall 24ft by 15ft with a quiet room for prayer, also for choir and orchestra practice; and three small rooms for educational work.

I will dig a US report out for you as soon as I can and possibly a photo though It might take a while as I will be away quite a bit for the next two weeks.

Doug

[egbert]

What I found about your man is the exact location where he was PoW . The camp and hospital was located in a suburb called Ebertal , below Lohberg (mountain Lohberg; more a hill most likely); here are some links which might be useful for you (or just google: "Goettingen Kriegsgefangenenlager"):

here

and

here

[egbert]

location map from 1936

Aerial from 1936

Aerial from 1979

[egbert]

the last aerial is from today. Everything from the old days is gone; today you find on the exact place the corporate HQ of Gotha Insurances Co

[egbert]

This is how the place looks today -what a change, can you imagine 1918 PoW barracks and hospital?

[egbert]

Some more research let me pinpoint the exact location of the PoW barracks, slightly east of the two German Infantry barracks. See red circle for PoW camp. The hospital barrack is presumed to be one of the most Northern barracks just inside the red circle. I come to that (hospital) conclusion, because the barracks north of the circled PoW barracks became the German Military Hospital and later the university clinic. The area was started to be rebuilt in 1961. The depicted aerial again is from 1936

[dianmon]

H i Doug and Egbert,

thank you for your fantastic reply's. Looking at the ariel pictures of the camp certainly makes Wilf seem more real to me (if you know what I mean).

I wonder if it would be possible to obtain a death certificate,would it be in the u.k or would it be held in Germany.

It is interesting that Doug says that there were only 60 odd men held there in 1918. I look forward to seeing the report you have.

My grandmother used to tell me that she was with her grandfather (James Branch) when the telegram arrived to inform him his only son had died,and she remembers him sitting by the fire and crying.

My mother and I are planning to go to germany next year and lay flowers on this boys grave and we will be the first people in the family to pay tribute in person.

Thanks again for your reply's and look forward to learning more.

Dianmon

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Guys,

I had been studying the photographs in Stange's book without coming to a conclusion, however, Egbert's latest post solves the problem. The photographs show two differing arrangements of buildings. The new post showing the grid like arrangement of huts that fits some of the photographs but some of them also show a wide long avenue with a row of buildings on both sides. That fits the main N-S route throught the camp with the road to one side (W) and open space to the East. Stange's photographs also show the Lazarett (from the outside) and the inside of the Krankensaal, both of which, at the time (1915), are wooden huts. There is a section in the book on the Lazarett but my poor knowledge of German and the ancient gothic script make it hard going for me to translate.

Doug

[egbert]

Hi Guys,

I had been studying the photographs in Stange's book without coming to a conclusion, however, Egbert's latest post solves the problem. The photographs show two differing arrangements of buildings. The new post showing the grid like arrangement of huts that fits some of the photographs but some of them also show a wide long avenue with a row of buildings on both sides. That fits the main N-S route throught the camp with the road to one side (W) and open space to the East. Stange's photographs also show the Lazarett (from the outside) and the inside of the Krankensaal, both of which, at the time (1915), are wooden huts. There is a section in the book on the Lazarett but my poor knowledge of German and the ancient gothic script make it hard going for me to translate.

Doug

Doug could you scan and post the relevant pics and text from the book here?

[Shep]

Hi All

I hope you don't mind me adding to this but perhaps someone may be able to help. I'm slightly confused about exactly where my grandfather was in October 1918. He was captured wounded at the Battle of the Selle on Oct 13th 1918 and survived. However, he had on return, amongst his possessions, an ID card with very little information other than his name and rank and an address on the front of '8 Obere-Masch Strasse, Gottingen'.

I was fortunate to visit the town of Gottingen in September this year and took a few photos of the building of that address. I had no idea what was there but it seems that number 8 is now a block of flats...however, the building next door, no.9, seems to be, or at least have been a prison of some kind. I have no idea what no.8 was or whether it was attached to the prison, but would very much appreciate it if anyone could shed some light on this?

The modern sign next to the door of no.9 says:

'Justizvollzugstanstalt

Klassizischtischer Putzbau

1836 erbaut als Criminal-Gefangenenhaus nach Planen

von Otto Prael durch den Gottinger Bauunternehmer

Christian Freidrich Andreas Rohns.'

And underneath:

JVA Rosdorf

Abteilung Gottingen

Number 9 Obere-Masch St:

Number 8 on the right of the prison: Just a block of flats.

Many thanks in anticipation. Please ignore the dates on the pics, they're not correct.

[Doug Johnson]

[Doug Johnson]

[Doug Johnson]

[Doug Johnson]

[egbert]

Excellent pictures!

So the location has been pinpointed! The text does not reveal any new clues. Amongst other it says that the very few PoW who died of their wounds have been buried aside of their German comrade soldiers on the city cemetery. Each got an individual grave except the Russians that died of Cholera. They were buried in a mass grave but a received a special grave monument etc....

[Doug Johnson]

Shep,

My guess would be a work placement of some description. The card would have been his permit to be there. Although agriculture, roads, railways and heavy labour were the "norm" for PoW's, many were occupied in trades, some as the only PoW employee at that address. Knowledge of his employment prior to the war may be a clue, however he may have been employed merely as muscle.

Doug

[Doug Johnson]

Thanks Egbert,

The reference to cholera is interesting though almost all camps seem to have had an outbreak at some time. I know they had an outbreak of Typhus as the camp was an example of how it should be treated as opposed to Gardelegen and Wittenberg (and the camps for Germans in Russia) where there were mass deaths.

Incidently there are 40 photographs in the book in total. From what I can make of the first page of the book, the camp was constructed in September 1914.

Doug

[dianmon]

Hi all,

how fantastic are those photographs!!. I can't wait to show them to my family.

It is interesting that the book says that very few men died of wounds,and the few that did are buried in the city cemetery.

Wilf Branch is buried in Niederzwehren,do you think he may have died of typhus as you say there was an outbreak of it at the camp.How awful that would be, to survive that horrendous war just to die of typhus at the very end of it.

Thanks again guys.

Di

[egbert]

Very likely he was buried on the communal/city cemetery and later after the war the Brits relocated him to

Niederzwehren; will order the book through local library next week when back from business trip -seems to be very interesting

[dianmon]

Thanks Egbert--look forward to that.

Di

[Doug Johnson]

Di,

It is unlikely that he died of cholera or typhus as these outbreaks were early in the war. Serious wounds are also unlikely. A non -serious wound that went bad, flu (the most likely given the date) or some other illness could be the causes.

Doug

[egbert]

Prof Carl Stange wrote a book about Göttingen called "Das Gefengenenlager in Göttingen" published in 1916.

Doug

I have received the book today. In general life in the camp is told/explained, the different stations are described like mail office, kitchen, libraries etc., the hospital section was posted by Doug already. There are more pics of the camp life and the camp itself in the book - Di what is your special interest picture wise?

, also some Brits participating in the theatre group -nice Ladies those Brits!

P.S. I received the book from a distant library in Hamburg. I believe you can order the book from your local library as well by lending through partner libraries.

[egbert]

I believe Di is one of the hit-and-run persons as he/she was only last seen on 13 Nov. So I cannot keep the book for an extended time and will turn it in this Friday!!!

[Doug Johnson]

OK Egbert, who makes the best girls then?

from Theater Ohne Frau; by Herman Pörzgen; 1933 A comprehensive study into theatre productions by German prisoners throughout the world from 1914 to 1919. Some very nice photographs from places like Japan, Australia etc.