German Prisoners of War in Franklin County
presented by Candie Campbell
Sunday, June 25, 2023, 2 p.m.
In person: FCHS Archives & Research Center, 2011 East Logan Street, Ottawa
Online: Zoom or Facebook Live
During World War II, nearly 400,000 German, Italian, and Japanese military were captured and housed in almost 700 camps throughout the United States. More than a dozen of those camps were located in Kansas, including a German POW camp in Ottawa in Franklin County.
But why were prisoners of war brought to America? Candie Campbell will examine the camp system in the United States in general and Kansas in particular as well as the story of the prisoners of war held in Ottawa in Franklin County.
Candie S. Campbell graduated from Emporia State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education with an emphasis in the social sciences and mathematics. She completed a Master of Arts in Teaching with an emphasis in American History and Political Science at Emporia State University. Her master thesis, “German Prisoners of War Come to Franklin County Branch Camp #6, Ottawa, Kansas,” was defended in 2001. She continued graduate work in criminal justice at Washburn University.
Campbell has been an educator for the past 27 years at the high school and community college level. Currently, she teaches American Government and has developed and instructs the Law Enforcement, Public Safety, and Security Career Pathway at Ottawa High School. Campbell has received a variety of awards and honors over the years as an American History and Political Science educator. She continues to participate and present at workshops and conferences.
This program is free and open to the public! Join us in person, or watch online via Facebook Live (no registration required) or Zoom (registration required). For more information, call (785) 242-1232 or e-mail Diana Staresinic-Deane.
Image: Two German prisoners of war engaged in farm labor in Franklin County. Photo by J.B. Muecke.
