„РОДНА ГРУДА” – ЛОГОРСКО ПОЗОРИШТЕ ЗАРОБЉЕНИХ ЈУГОСЛОВЕНСКИХ ОФИЦИРА У ОСНАБРИКУ
„RODNA GRUDA” („HOMELAND”) – THE THEATER OF YUGOSLAV OFFICERS CAPTURED IN THE OSNABRÜCK CAMP

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents an archived item on the organization of cultural and entertainment life of Yugoslav officers captured during World War II at the Oflag VI C camp in Osnabrück. As anintroduction to the document, an overview was given of the Osnabrück camp and lives of its detained Yugoslav officers, predominantly Serbs and several hundred Jews, as well as of ideological-political divisions that subdued them. A Yugoslav officers’ camp was located in Osnabrück from April 1941 to the end of the war. The number of prisoners varied, but most often amounted from 4,000 to 6,000. The conditions of accommodation and supply were generally averageor poor. Besides, 117 officers and a few soldiers were killed during the British bombing on December 6, 1944. As there was a large number of educated people in the camp, and since captured officers did not have to work, a rich, cultural, artistic and educational life was developed during their captivity. Yugoslav officers were ideologically divided, so they usually had twoor more organizations and associations for the same type of activity (communist, civil-royalist, sometimesneutral, etc.), which showed great mutual intolerance. The paper finally shows a note with the attached letter to the Camp authorities for approval of the Statute proposal of the „Rodna Gruda Camp Theater” (composed by a drama section, an orchestraand a choir), established in August 1943, writtenby a civic-minded Community for cultural and physical training.

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