Based on Pat Reid’s novel, this film tells the story of how the British, French, Dutch, and Polish prisoners of war in Colditz set out to prove their captors wrong. Based on a true story, a group of allied escape artist type prisoners of war are all put in an ‘escape proof’ camp.

But in April 1945, U.S. troops entered the town of Colditz and, after a two-day fight, captured the castle on April 16, 1945. The government turned Colditz Castle into a prison for local criminals. Later, the castle was a home for the aged and nursing home, as well as a hospital and psychiatric clinic.

After Colditz After the liberation of Colditz Castle by the U.S. Army, Eggers retired from active service and returned to his post as a teacher in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, as he was able to prove that he had never joined the Nazi Party. He became a headmaster and then a lecturer at Halle University.

It is estimated that over 4,000 British and Allied personnel escaped or evaded capture across Europe during the Second World War. At Colditz, there were more than 30 successful escape attempts including ten by British and Commonwealth Officers.

The Colditz Cock was a glider built by British prisoners of war for an escape attempt from Oflag IV-C (Colditz Castle) in Germany….

32 escaped
However, in Colditz: The Definitive History historian Henry Chancellor claims 32 escaped but only 15 were Home Runs: these were 1 Belgian, 11 British, 7 Dutch, 12 French and 1 Polish. The first to escape was French Lieutenant Alain Le Ray, who did so on April 11th, 1941.

Colditz was first used as an official Prisoner of War camp during World War One, although no escapes were made at this time.

Filming Locations (2) Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK (studio) (studio: made at Shepperton Studios, England.)

The Colditz Cock was a glider built by British prisoners of war for an escape attempt from Oflag IV-C (Colditz Castle) in Germany….

one fatality
Although people did actually escape from Colditz and return to their homeland, most of the escape attempts failed. There was however only ever one fatality, that of British Lieutenant Michael Sinclair, who was killed in September 1944.

Although people did actually escape from Colditz and return to their homeland, most of the escape attempts failed. There was however only ever one fatality, that of British Lieutenant Michael Sinclair, who was killed in September 1944.

Colditz is a British television drama series co-produced by the BBC and Universal Studios and screened between 1972 and 1974. Technical consultant for the series was Major Pat Reid, the real British Escape Officer at Colditz. One of the locations used in filming was Stirling Castle.

The Colditz Story (1955) 1h 34min | Drama, History, War | 26 February 1955 (Sweden) Allied prisoners of various nationalities pool their resources to plan numerous escapes from an “escape-proof” German P.O.W. camp housed in a Medieval castle.

Allied prisoners – British, Dutch, French and Polish – pool their resources to plan numerous escapes from the “escape-proof” German P.O.W. camp housed in a Medieval castle known as “Colditz”… Read all

During the last days of Colditz, many of its prominent or high-ranking prisoners were transferred to Laufen by order of Himmler. But in April 1945, U.S. troops entered the town of Colditz and, after a two-day fight, captured the castle on April 15, 1945. In May 1945, the Soviet occupation of Colditz began.

Colditz Castle in 2011. After the outbreak of World War II, the castle was converted into a high security prisoner-of-war camp for officers who had become security or escape risks or who were regarded as particularly dangerous.