Colditz Trivia Quiz

Answer: Germany

Colditz is located in Saxony, which after the war became part of East Germany.

Answer: Officers who were high escape risks

Officers from allied nations who had proven themselves likely to escape, and many had already done so, were sent to Colditz.(There were only 2 NCO's in residence.) A few "special" prisoners were held there, but mainly because of relatives of some power. For example, a nephew of the Queen of England, and the godson of Winston Churchill were held, perhaps as bargaining chips for later.

Answer: Maximum

Colditz was thought to be escape proof and guarded very well ... or so the Germans thought.

Answer: German Army

Reinholt Eggers was chief of security. Many years after the war, he met with former inmates, who finally revealed many of their secrets to him. He was, by most accounts a fair and just person, even at a time when Germany was not known running humane prisons.

Answer: Castle

Colditz was an old castle that had gone through many changes. It had at various times been a home for royalty, an asylum for the insane and a common prison. Today, one can tour the castle, and see how the inmates lived during the war.

Answer: True

An entire department was created to do just that. An eccentric magician was hired, and created things such as maps hidden in records, compasses in walnut shells, and toothbrushes that could turn into escape tools. Prisoners were informed that these "naughty parcels" were coming through an intricate system of coded letters from home.

Answer: roll call

"Appells" were held numerous times of the day, and night. When a prisoner was thought to have escaped, an appell was held. However, there was a way around it. Prisoners who actually escaped, but never left the confines of the prison - better known as "ghosts" - took the places of those gone to throw off the counts. Just another thing to confuse the Germans.

Answer: Escape to freedom

These two Frenchmen had the first "homerun"- escape the prison, Germany, and all the way back to the safety of England. They later fought with the Free French.

Answer: Bader

Douglas Bader became on ace during the Battle of Britain. Shot down later in the war, he was sent to Colditz because of his numerous escape attempts. Although very popular with the British public, he was not always so popular with fellow prisoners. He was known to throw his weight around and even refused his medical orderly early release because he could not return to England also.

Answer: True

Whenever a new and interesting way to escape was discovered, pictures, tools, even full costumes representing the act were put on display for visiting Germans.

Answer: Killed while escaping

Sinclair was shot by an over-zealous guard during his attempt. He became the one and only prisoner to die in this manner. He was buried with full military honors by the Germans. Today, he lies in a British Military Cemetary outside Berlin.

Answer: 35

Although hundreds tried, only 35 made it. They came from England, Belgium, France and Poland.

Answer: None, all three were used

If you could think up a method to escape, chances are you could try it. A committee approved most attempts, and aided people with fake passes, money, and maps.

Answer: Glider

The Colditz glider was almost complete when the camp was liberated. It had to be left behind when the prisoners left. Several people later returned to try to salvage it, only to find that the Russians who took over the camp used it for firewood. Only the plans for it, and one photo exist. Several years ago, a documentary was done about the camp.

It included reproducing the glider. It appears to have been capable of flight.

Answer: April, 1945

Although the Americans liberated the prison, the area was soon turned over to the Soviet Union. All the prisoners had been liberated by then, however.