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The Central Museum of Prisoners of War in Łambinowice-Opole operates on the grounds of former POW camps that functioned in the village of Lamsdorf during the Franco-Prussian War, as well as World War I and II.
In the former Wehrmacht command and guardhouse building adapted for museum purposes, permanent exhibitions are presented: "In German Captivity," "POW Camps in Lamsdorf/Łambinowice 1870–1945," "Polish POWs in the USSR," and in a restored barrack on the post-camp grounds titled "Soviet POWs in Stalag 318/VIII F/344 Lamsdorf." The collection of memorabilia related to prisoners of war, mainly from World War II, numbers a total of over 10,000 objects. These are items used or produced by prisoners of war during their stay in captivity, as well as other items associated with them, e.g., things belonging to the administration and guard service of POW camps and created after the war in concern for preserving the memory of the time of captivity.
The museum collection is complemented by documents regarding prisoners of war (mainly Polish), held in the years of World War II in POW camps in the territory of the Third Reich, as well as the USSR and in internment camps. In the archive, there are microfilms with documentation from state archives in Moscow, Prague, and Freiburg, a photo library, and a video and sound library, as well as a cartographic collection.
Within a radius of several kilometers from the museum, there are remnants of former proving ground buildings unique on a European scale, relics of stalags, and POW cemeteries (the oldest graves come from the period of the Franco-Prussian War of 1871).
Practical information:
During World War II, the camps in Lamsdorf were among the largest German camp complexes in Europe. The last of the camps was established after World War II by the Poles. It existed in the years 1945–1946.
Opening hours:
from October 1 to March 31:
Tuesday - Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM;
from April 1 to September 30:
Tuesday - Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM,
on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
Free admission. In order to visit the memorial site, you can
