Australian War Memorial Logo
Search

Donate Today

  • Collection Open Information Close Information
    • Official Histories & Unit Diaries
    • Understanding the Collection
    • Research at the Memorial
    • Donating to the Collection
    • National Collection Loans
    • Projects
  • People
  • Visit
  • Commemorate Open Information Close Information
    • Last Post Ceremony
    • Honour Rolls
    • Anzac Day
    • Remembrance Day
    • Customs & Ceremony
    • Speeches
  • Learn Open Information Close Information
    • Schools & Teachers
    • Memorial Articles
    • Encyclopedia
    • Understanding Military Structure
    • Podcasts
    • Glossary
    • Magazine
  • Get Involved Open Information Close Information
    • Donations & Bequests
    • Corporate Partnership
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer at the Memorial
    • Friends of the Memorial
    • eMemorial Newsletter
    • Grants, Scholarships & Residencies
    • Research Papers
  • Shop Open Information Close Information
    • Memorial Shop
    • Images, film and sound
    • Lone Pine Seedlings

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Visit
  3. Exhibitions
  4. Stolen Years: Australian prisoners of war
  5. Stolen Years: Australian prisoners of war - The Se...
  6. Stolen Years: Australian prisoners of war - Prison...
  7. Stolen Years: Australian prisoners of war - Hohenf...

Main navigation

  • Other Exhibitions
  • Current Exhibitions
  • Past Exhibitions
  • Touring Exhibitions
  • Online Exhibitions

Stolen Years: Australian prisoners of war - Hohenfels

  • Introduction
  • First World War
  • Second World War
  • Korean War
  • Prisoners of the Germans
  • Prisoners of the Italians
  • Prisoners of the Japanese

 

Sustaining mind and body

Anzac Day sports poster

Anzac Day sports poster 1944
Australian prisoners kept up their national traditions, including the Melbourne Cup and Anzac Day. This poster was produced to mark 25 April 1944 at Stalag 383 at Hohenfels.
RC00887

Empire Games poster 1943

Empire Games poster 1943
Prison camps held men of many nationalities. Stalag 383 held enough British Commonwealth prisoners to hold an “Empire Games” in 1943 and 1944.
RC00935

HMS Pinafore poster 1943

HMS Pinafore poster 1943
Men in many camps went to great lengths to stage theatrical performances, drawing on unsuspected creativity in design, costume, music and performance. Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore was performed in Hohenfels.
RC01082

Australian Concert Party Programme

Australian Concert Party Programme 1943
Amateur concerts like this helped to ease the boredom of camp life.
RC01083

Theatre poster 1944

Theatre poster 1944
Larger camps, especially non-working ones like Hohenfels, had the people and the time to mount occasional plays, such as this from November 1944.
RC1084

Collection Item C290846

Accession Number: P02070.004

Prisoners performing Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest in Hohenfels camp in 1943. The photograph shows how inventive men were in constructing sets and making costumes.

Collection Item C290906

Accession Number: P02071.029

The Australian cricket team in Hohenfels in 1943, complete with homemade baggy green caps.
 

Collection Item C206824

Accession Number: P00110.023

The medley relay team for the Hohenfels games in 1943, when the British lost to an “empire” team.
 

Collection Item C206825

Accession Number: P00110.024

Athletic meet at Hohenfels 1943, complete with betting facilities. All wagers were in cigarettes.
 

Stories

  • Howard Taylor works of art
  • Hohenfels
  • Hohenfels - sustaining mind and body
  • Escape Maps
  • Escape from Stalag Luft III
  • Winter Marches
  • Liberation

Last updated: 15 November 2019

1 The Donations and bequests

Donations & Bequests

Your generous donation will be used to ensure the memory of our Defence Forces and what they have done for us, and what they continue to do for our freedom remains – today and into the future.

Find out more
2 Visit Transcribe.awm.gov.au

Transcribe

Help preserve Australia's history by transcribing records from the National Collection. Enhance accessibility and discoverability for all Australians.

Find out more
The placesofpride

Places of Pride

Places of Pride, the National Register of War Memorials, is a new initiative designed to record the locations and photographs of every publicly accessible memorial across Australia.

Find out more
Visit the Australian War Memorial

Visit the Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial is open for visitors as we work to expand our galleries. Entry is free and tickets are not required.

Find out more
Canberra Highlands in Grayscale

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF
TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS

The Australian War Memorial acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, sea and waters. We pay our respects to elders past and present.
Location map of The Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial building

The Australian War Memorial

Fairbairn Avenue
Campbell ACT 2612
Australia
View on Google Maps (opens in new window)
Google Map data ©2025 Google
Australian War Memorial Logo
  • Go to AWM Facebook
  • Go to AWM Trip Advisor
  • Go to AWM Instagram
  • Go to AWM Youtube

Footer

  • About
  • Contact
  • Venue Hire
  • Media
  • WM Magazine
  • Donate Today

The Australian War Memorial

Fairbairn Avenue

Campbell ACT 2612

Australia

 

Opening Hours

10 am to 4 pm daily (except Christmas Day)

 

In preparation for the daily Last Post Ceremony,

galleries are progressively closed from 3:40 pm.

 

Public entrance via Fairbairn Avenue, Campbell ACT 2612

Sign up to our newsletter

Subscribe

Legal

  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Freedom of information

Copyright 2025 Australian War Memorial, Canberra. All rights reserved