Hand-painted Notebook from a Prisoner of War Camp

Hand-painted Notebook from a Prisoner of War Camp

The image shows a small, hand-painted memory or sketchbook from the period after World War II (1945–1946) depicting a barbed wire fence and bearing the inscription "P.W. Variete" (likely for Prisoner of War Variety) and "de Vivier 1945–46." Such hand-painted notebooks, albums, or drawings were created by prisoners of war in camps (such as Stalags or internment camps) to cope with the harsh realities of daily life, document cultural activities like camp variety shows, or preserve memories.

• The People: Oskar Petzold was apparently one of the prisoners of war who performed in the camp and was affectionately known as "Chatterbox" due to his eloquence or his role in the theater group. The notebook was given to him by his comrades (on behalf of or representing a certain "Handschuh") as a farewell gift or memento.


• The People: Oskar Petzold was apparently one of the prisoners of war who performed in the camp and was affectionately called "Chatterbox" because of his eloquence or his role in the theater group. • The Cabaret Stage: The designation "Cabaret Stage #17" indicates that structured cultural and theatrical groups existed within the camp. The prisoners often organized such performances with the simplest of means for moral support and distraction.

• The "Le Vivier" Camp: The camp was located in France. After the end of World War II, the French army maintained numerous dépôts de prisonniers de guerre (prisoner-of-war camps) where German soldiers were interned. Many of these camps were located in places with names like Le Vivier (often former military sites, farmsteads, or coastal areas in northern or western France).

Further prisoners of war are named. 11 sids