Polish Prisoner of War Records

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For those researching Polish ancestors who served in the military during World War II, Prisoner of War (POW) records can provide critical insights into their experiences, fate, and post-war movements. Thousands of Polish soldiers were captured by both German and Soviet forces during the war, with many enduring years of hardship in POW camps. Whether taken prisoner during the 1939 September Campaign, as part of the Polish Armed Forces in the West, or while fighting in resistance movements, these records can help reconstruct an ancestor’s wartime history. Today, various archives preserve POW documents, offering key information for genealogical research.

Types of Polish POW Records and What They Contain

Polish prisoner-of-war records vary depending on where a soldier was captured and held. German POW records from Stalags and Oflags document Polish soldiers detained after battles, often including registration cards, prisoner numbers, and forced labor assignments. Soviet POW records, on the other hand, frequently lack formal recognition of military status, with many Polish captives classified as political prisoners and deported to Gulags. Some were later released to join Anders’ Army, while others perished in mass executions, such as the Katyn Massacre. The Red Cross, Polish Central Military Archives (CAW), and Bundesarchiv in Germany hold crucial documents, while personal identity cards, repatriation files, and resettlement records offer further insights into an ancestor’s wartime fate.

Identity Card of Ex-Prisoner of War

The Identity Card of Ex-Prisoner of War was an official document issued to soldiers who had been captured during wartime and later liberated. For Polish soldiers held in German or Soviet POW camps during World War II, this card played a crucial role in confirming their status, aiding in post-war resettlement, and securing military benefits. Typically issued by Allied military authorities, including the British War Office or Polish military commands in exile, the card contained personal details, such as name, date of birth, nationality, prisoner number, and details of captivity, including the name of the POW camp and date of liberation. For many Polish ex-POWs, particularly those who could not return to Soviet-controlled Poland, this document was essential for obtaining refugee status, joining the Polish Resettlement Corps (PRC), or securing British or Commonwealth citizenship. Today, these identity cards serve as valuable genealogical records, often found in family archives, MOD records, or historical military collections, providing key insights into the experiences of Polish prisoners of war and their post-war lives.

German POW Records – Tracing Polish Prisoners in Nazi Camps

During World War II, thousands of Polish soldiers, resistance fighters, and civilians were captured by Nazi Germany and imprisoned in prisoner-of-war (POW) camps, known as Stalags (for enlisted men and NCOs) and Oflags (for officers). Many were taken prisoner during the 1939 invasion of Poland, while others were captured during battles on the Western and Eastern fronts, including Polish troops fighting under British command. Polish resistance members (Armia Krajowa – AK), particularly those involved in the Warsaw Uprising (1944), were also classified as POWs and sent to German camps instead of concentration camps after negotiations with the Red Cross.

German POW records typically contain:

  • Personal details – full name, date and place of birth, rank, and military unit.
  • Capture details – date and location of capture, prisoner number.
  • Internment camp information – name and location of Stalag/Oflag, prisoner movements.
  • Health and labor assignments – details of forced labor (if applicable).
  • Liberation and repatriation records – information on escape, release, or transfer at the war’s end.

What Was a Stalag? – German POW Camps for Enlisted Soldiers

A Stalag (short for Stammlager, meaning “main camp”) was a German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp designed to hold enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) captured during World War II. Unlike Oflags, which were designated for officers, Stalags primarily housed rank-and-file soldiers from various Allied nations, including thousands of Polish troops captured during the 1939 invasion of Poland and later battles on the Western and Eastern fronts. Conditions in these camps varied but were often harsh, with overcrowding, forced labor, and inadequate medical care. Prisoners were assigned POW numbers and had to follow strict camp regulations enforced by the German military. Some Stalags became infamous for their brutality and high mortality rates, while others were used as transit camps for prisoners being sent to labor camps or concentration camps. For those researching Polish ancestors who were captured by the Germans, Stalag records, prisoner registration documents, and Red Cross archives can provide valuable insights into their wartime experiences. Many of these records are preserved in the International Tracing Service (ITS), Bundesarchiv, and Polish Central Military Archives (CAW), making them an important resource for genealogical research.

Soviet POW and Gulag Records – Tracing Polish Prisoners in the USSR

During and after the 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland, thousands of Polish soldiers, officers, and civilians were captured by the NKVD (Soviet secret police) and sent to prisoner-of-war (POW) camps and forced labor camps (Gulag system). These records are critical for tracing the fate of Polish military personnel who were interned, executed, or deported to the Soviet Union during World War II. Unlike German POW camps, where prisoners were at least recognized under the Geneva Conventions, the Soviets often denied POW status to Polish military personnel, treating them as political prisoners or “counter-revolutionaries.”

Key Soviet POW archives include:

  • NKVD POW camp records – detailing prisoner names, ranks, units, and locations of captivity (e.g., Kozelsk, Starobelsk, Ostashkov).
  • Gulag transport and labor camp records – documenting deportations to Siberia, Kazakhstan, and other remote regions, often for forced labor.
  • Execution lists – such as those used in the Katyn Massacre (1940), where over 22,000 Polish officers and intellectuals were murdered by Soviet authorities.
  • Anders’ Army records – documenting Polish POWs released in 1941 under the Sikorski-Mayski Agreement, many of whom later joined the Polish Armed Forces in the West.

Polish and International Red Cross Records

The Polish Red Cross (Polski Czerwony Krzyż – PCK) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have been instrumental in tracing missing persons, identifying war victims, and assisting families searching for lost soldiers since World War I. During World War II, the Polish Red Cross played a vital role in registering Polish prisoners of war (POWs), deportees, and concentration camp victims, often providing the only means of communication between families and captured soldiers. It cooperated with the ICRC, which maintained POW lists, prisoner exchanges, and repatriation efforts, particularly for Polish soldiers held in German and Soviet captivity. The ICRC also documented forced laborers, Holocaust victims, and displaced persons, many of whom never returned home after the war. After 1945, both organizations assisted in post-war repatriations, exhumations of mass graves, and confirming the fates of missing individuals, including those murdered in the Katyn Massacre. Today, their archives remain crucial for genealogical research, holding wartime prisoner records, missing persons reports, and post-war resettlement files, accessible through the Polish Red Cross headquarters in Warsaw and the ICRC archives in Geneva.