A BOOK written by German First World War prisoners and which has been painstakingly transcribed into English is to be officially launched on April 29.
An online event will take place at 7pm via Zoom where there will be 300 places for guests.
German Prisoners of the Great War. Life in a Yorkshire Camp has been edited by Anne Buckley, a lecturer in German at the University of Leeds. It was published by Pen and Sword in February.
“Around 30 people helped translate the book, Kriegsgefangen in Skipton, which was written in the camp, known as Raikeswood, and smuggled back to Germany where it was published in Munich in 1920, “ explained Anne.
“German Prisoners of the Great War. Life in a Yorkshire Camp is the first full English translation and reveals the story of the camp where over 900 German officers and orderlies were incarcerated during 1918 and 1919.
“Vivid stories of life in the camp and numerous sketches provide a unique insight into the experiences of German soldiers in a British First World War POW camp. In their own words the prisoners describe the conditions in the camp, the daily routines, their activities, relationships with the guards and their thoughts of their homeland.”
The book also contains an extensive introduction based on research carried out into the history of the camp and the lives of the German prisoners. A full list of the prisoners is included.
Speakers at the launch include Actor Wolf Kahler, whose grandfather Fritz Sachsse was the senior German officer in the camp and who compiled the book written by the German prisoners. He will share memories of his grandfather and read from his foreword to the book.
Sylvia Reineke, whose grandfather Heinrich Haase was one of the orderlies in the camp, will talk about her grandfather’s life after the First World War and read a section from the book while Charlotte Smith and Sabine Schlüter, who were part of the team of 30 translators, will discuss some of the challenges they faced when translating the century-old German text.
They too will read extracts from the book.
To secure a place, go to:
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