Artistic Endeavors in Nebraska’s Prisoner of War Camps

Author(s): Allison Young; Allison M Young

Year: 2015

Summary

During the Second World War, thousands of prisoners of war were transported to the United States to be held for the duration of the conflict. The Geneva Convention served as the primary doctrine influencing how camps were built and how the prisoner populations were treated. Under the convention, prisoners were able to work for a wage as well as pursue hobbies in areas like education, sports, and the arts. This paper explores how the artistic pursuits of German POWs influenced the material record in regards to site interpretation and museum collections. The discussion is focused on a set of sheet rock murals from the Indianola POW camp in western Nebraska. The murals were removed and preserved prior to the destruction of the camp.

Cite this Record

Artistic Endeavors in Nebraska’s Prisoner of War Camps. Allison Young, Allison M Young. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Seattle, Washington. 2015 ( tDAR id: 433847)

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Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 371