Prisoners of war

Enemy soldiers captured by German troops during World War II were subject to the German Armed Forces. Prisoners of war were also used for forced labor, sometimes in the armaments industry in violation of international law. They were often gathered in larger main camps, sent from there as work crews to factories, and housed on site in smaller camps cordoned off with barbed wire fences. In the event of illness, they were returned to their original camp, and the military authorities were also primarily responsible for disciplining them. Some prisoners of war, such as numerous Italian prisoners of war in 1943/44, were transferred to civilian status. As a result, they were henceforth subject to the civilian authorities of the Nazi regime, which often resulted in more arbitrary treatment.