In the late summer of 1941 prisoner of war camp number 7 was moved from Karkkila to Svartå on the border between Karis and Lohja. During the early months of it´s existence, in the winter months 1941-1942 the camp had an extremely high deathrate.
Tents for Soviet prisoners of war in the Limestone quarry of Ojamo in Lohja (close to Svartå) in the winter of 1941-1942. The POW´were used as a work force in the quarry.
Soviet POW´s were marched from Svartå railway station to the camp. The walk was just under 4km:s but too much for many of the prisoner´of war who were in very bad shape. The conditions in the camp deteriorated even further with more and more prisoners of war beeing transported here from the frontlines and the outbreak of epidemics among the prisoners.
Soviet POW´s with the prisoner of war camp number 7 in the backgound. Picture reconstructed by Jan Fast.
In all some 112 prisoners of war died as a result of malnutrion, lack of health care, the cold and general exhaustion.
Soviet prisoners of war on the road to Hanko in 1941. Photo SA-kuva
As part of the Nanko 1941 project the site of the prisoner of war camp will be surveyed in the spring of 2020.
Comments