A Tale of Two POW Camps: Fort Custer and Camp Crossville

As a result of World War II, an estimated 425,000 German prisoners of war resided in 700 camps across the United States.  It is impossible to describe the average experience of German POWs interned in the U.S. during World War II, according to historian Arnold Krammer, because each camp had its own unique dynamic and demographics.1 To provide a sense of the range of experiences of POWs, guards, and communities, this digital exhibit offers a direct comparison of two vastly different camps: Fort Custer, Michigan and Camp Crossville, Tennessee.

1 Arnold Krammer, Nazi Prisoners of War in America (New York: Stein and Day, 1979), 77.

Credits

This digital exhibit was created for the NCA History Program by Shelby A. Reidle through the Virtual Student Federal Service, 2019.