Stalag VII A Moosburg

There were only a few initiatives in the decades after the end of the war that wanted to commemorate the former prisoner of war camp Stalag VII A. Thus, at the instigation of individual personalities, a memorial fountain was erected by the town of Moosburg in 1963, and in 1982 the grounds of the former POW cemetery were purchased and established as a memorial site. A historical reappraisal did not take place until recently. As in many other cities, the unpleasant past was suppressed. Thus, the barrack buildings of the former camp gradually disappeared except for a few remnants. However, they form an ensemble with original substance that is unique in Germany. The discussion about how to deal with the remaining monuments is still ongoing. A rich fund of photos, artworks and contemporary testimonies has been archived, but is currently only accessible to the public to a limited extent.

However, the children and grandchildren of the wartime generation are showing increasing interest in their own history. This is also evident from the high visitor numbers at many well-known Nazi memorial sites. Stalag VII A in Moosburg was not a concentration camp and was not used for the extermination of people; rather, it was largely run in accordance with international laws of war. For this reason, it has not been a major focus of public attention or remembrance culture until now. However, every year, numerous relatives of former prisoners from all over the world come to Moosburg to search for traces of their fathers and grandfathers.