Study into German prisoners of war in Leicester after Second World War

Student Sue Bishop from the School of History is keen to hear from people with information about German prisoners of war who were held in Leicestershire camps during and after the Second World War for her third year undergraduate dissertation.

As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the project aims to uncover why a number of the prisoners remained in Leicestershire once they were finally released. The project will involve understanding their experiences of life in England, what local people thought of them and how this changed once the war was over.

German prisoners of war made up a significant component of the local workforce during those early years after the war. Most of the men worked on farms alongside the Women’s Land Army, and schoolchildren who were brought in to help at harvest time.

As part of the project, Sue is keen to hear from any surviving German prisoners of war who live in the county, their relatives and friends or anyone who can remember the men during that time and who are willing to help.

The research project is to be completed by the beginning of 2016.