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Enemies in our fields: German Prisoners of War in Moorhead, Minnesota during World War II


Presenter(s)

Fia Larsen

Abstract or Description

Within the United States during World War II, it was not uncommon to encounter a prisoner of war (POW) camp somewhere within the nation. These camps grew and developed as prisoners were moved from the overcrowded POW camps in allied Europe to the US. Initially, these POW camps in the United States served only as a place to house prisoners, however, as the war continued and the dire need for laborers in the United States increased, the federal government began considering other labor sources. One of these sources were the prisoners themselves. Through the Army, individual camps were established wherein POWs, often employed as agricultural or forestry workers, filled empty labor roles. These POWs are largely credited for saving the agricultural harvest of 1943 and maintaining the flow of products. The first German POW camp established in Minnesota, a branch camp from Camp Algona in Iowa, was established in Moorhead in 1944. By the request of Hank Peterson and Paul Horn, controversially 150 POWs would later come to work on their farms and live at a nearby camp. Despite the illegality of fraternization with prisoners, the farmers of Moorhead and the POWs quickly established friendships. Sometimes the fraternization went beyond the farms and led to scandal. Mostly, however, it led to a lasting connection and legacy that can still be seen today. 

Mentor

Dr. Dan Allosso

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