If you were born in or before 1965 there is a big chance you might have seen the famous BBC series on television. For those living in the UK, Colditz is known for being one of the most successful television shows, even topping Dad’s army. As a kid, few series were as exciting as Colditz. I could never have imagined visiting the castle would even more exciting watching the show.

Though a trip was often discussed with an old student friend and fellow miltary history buff, something always got in the way. However, early 2023 we finally set off to Colditz. It was still quite cold, which set the right atmosphere for this incredible trip, including Leipzig and Dresden. We have managed to visit several (military) history museums in just two days time and if you are near Leipzig so should you.

Nowadays you can make a tour using a tablet. Early 2023 it was possible to book a private tour, which is a must since no tablet will ever be able to replace our tour guide Steffi, who revealed Colditz’ secrets during the 3 hour tour. (Please check if these tours are still available.) Time flew and our small group (4) would have loved to stay for while, but after a visit to the small museum shop, it was time to say goodbye. This visit must be one most memorable tours I ever got, together with the private tour to The Battle of Britan Bunker in Uxbridge, given by the director of the museum and one of the guides called Andy. Even if you have never watched the 70’s tv-series “Colditz”, you may enjoy this tour and the incredable stories told.

Colditz is situated near Leipzig in the former DDR. After 1945 it’s history was forgotten quickly and it seemed liked many Colditz inhabitants were not aware of it’s POW-history. When the Berlin wall collapsed, the people from the former DDR were allowed travelling again. A few of them went to the UK to learn English. When they told which place they were from, people got excited and started telling them about the famous Oflag. If nobody would have asked them where they were from, the younger inhabitants of Colditz may not be aware of it’s history. After discovering the recent history of the castle it became partly museum and partly youth hostel.

The German army designated Colditz as a Sonderlager, a high-security prison camp, uniquely the only one of its kind within Germany. Field Marshal Hermann Göring even proclaimed Colditz to be “escape-proof.” Nonetheless, there were numerous well-documented escapes and failed attempts by inmates from Britain, Canada, France, Poland, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Contrary to some misconceptions, Colditz Castle was not used as a prisoner of war camp during World War I.

Over 300 escape attempts were made. Just 30 of them were succesful and this is not surprising given the fact that Colditz was used to lock up those officers who were considered to be a “high risk”, trying to escape (again). Colditz Castle was selected for its imposing structure and strategic location atop a cliff, making it seemingly impregnable and an ideal site for containing prisoners with a high risk of escape. Despite these formidable defenses, Colditz became famous for the numerous escape attempts made by its inmates. The prisoners, who came from various Allied nations such as Britain, France, and Poland, used ingenious methods to try and regain their freedom. These attempts included tunneling, crafting disguises, and even building a glider. The glider was never used, since the camp was liberated before it could be used.

Oflag IV-C housed many notable prisoners, including British and French officers, and became a symbol of the ingenuity and resilience of those detained there. The camp’s history is marked by the prisoners’ persistent efforts to escape and the various successes and failures that ensued. Colditz Castle remains a significant historical site, offering insights into the experiences of POWs during the war and the extraordinary measures they took to escape captivity.

The tour takes you through the castle, the terraces, and the quarters of the German soldiers. Many rooms have stories of escape attempts. One daring escape involved using the potato storage room. It’s incredible to think people managed to squeeze through a tiny hole meant for dumping potatoes.

Prisoners came up with various methods to escape. They duplicated keys, copied maps, forged identity papers, and made their own tools. MI9, a British War Office department specializing in escape equipment, communicated with the prisoners in code and smuggled items to them hidden in care packages. They avoided tampering with Red Cross packages to prevent the Germans from stopping their delivery. The Germans became quite adept at intercepting packages with contraband.

Prisoners also used items from their Red Cross packages to bribe guards and local citizens. Douglas Bader, who was allowed to visit the town of Colditz, took chocolate and other luxuries to trade. Most escape attempts failed, but some were quite creative. Pat Reid, who later wrote about his experiences in Colditz, first failed to escape and then became an “escape officer,” coordinating efforts to avoid conflicts among different national groups. Escape officers generally weren’t allowed to escape themselves.

Many tried disguises: Airey Neave dressed as a guard, French Lieutenant Boulé disguised in drag, and British Lieutenant Michael Sinclair dressed as German Sergeant Major Rothenberger. French Lieutenant Perodeau once dressed as camp electrician Willi Pöhnert and nearly escaped by blending in with repair staff.

Dutch prisoners made clay heads to stand in for escaping officers during roll call, delaying the discovery of their absence. Some “ghosts,” officers who faked escapes and hid in the castle, replaced escaping prisoners at roll call. Anthony Luteyn and Airey Neave successfully reached Switzerland.

According to the Geneva Convention, prisoners should have opportunities for physical exercise and outdoor time. Adequate open spaces should be provided in all camps. At Colditz, the garden was used for escape attempts, so it was eventually declared off-limits

A British officer, Anthony Murray Allan, known as “Peter,” escaped by hiding in a mattress being moved to another camp. Dressed as a Hitler Youth and speaking fluent German, he managed to get out and walk to freedom. Other attempts involved rappelling down a 36-meter wall with a bed sheet rope. Nine French officers organized a long-term tunnel-digging project, which was eventually discovered just short of completion.

In another daring plan, British pilots Jack Best and Bill Goldfinch, with help from Tony Rolt and David Walker, decided to build a glider in the attic. The two-man glider was to be launched from the chapel roof to fly across the river Mulde. They built a false wall to hide the construction area and used stolen wood. The glider was never used, but a replica was successfully flown in 2000 and is now displayed at the Imperial War Museum in London. Another intersting documentary can be found on our video page.

We loved the tour. We loved our guide. Highly recommended!

Leipzig hosts several interesting museums, like the Stasi Memorial Museum in the “Round Corner”, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations and memorial and the Forum of Contemporary History Leipzig. These are worth visiting. If time is an issue, a visit to the Forum is the most interesting.

For those into boardgames, there is a Colditz game available. I bought the old version second hand online. It’s a treasure to have but not to play. The modern version (75the anniversary version) must be great fun to play and can be purchased online.

One episode if James May’s Top Toys is about the game and can be found here on the BBC channel on YouTube.