Best of Enemies: German Prisoners of War in AL with Mike McConnell, Saturday, April 20

During World War Ⅱ, 16,000 German prisoners of war called Alabama their temporary home. For many, their stay counted among the best of their wartime experiences, so good in fact that years later some would continue to return for reunions that kept them in touch with Alabamians. However, tensions existed too—some prisoners lived better and enjoyed more privileges than the farmers and townspeople who endured wartime rationing.

Die-hard Nazi prisoners also clashed with anti-Nazis inside the wire. This talk discusses who the prisoners were, their experiences and interactions with the locals, and how Alabama's prisoner-of-war camps helped contribute to the efforts to turn enemies into friends once the war ended.

Mike McConnell earned his Ph.D. in Modern European History from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where his work focused on examining the relationship between the Holocaust and Nazi persecution of non-Jewish victim groups at the end of World War Ⅱ.

He has taught at the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His work has been published in several essay collections and the Journal of Central European History. Mike's research has been supported by fellowships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Guggenheim Foundation.

Join us for Mike McConnell's talk this Saturday, April 20, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Arrington Auditorium at the Central Library. The Arrington Auditorium is located on the fourth floor of the Research Library; you can the access the Research Library by crossing the skybridge on the third floor of the main East Building. This program is free and open to the public. 

For more information on this program and other events hosted by the Archives and Manuscripts Department, visit the Birmingham Public Library website or contact Catherine Oseas Champion at 205-226-3630 or Catherine.Oseas@cobpl.org. Follow their accounts on Instagram and Facebook to get the latest updates. 

By Catherine Oseas Champion | Head Archivist, Archives and Manuscripts Department, Central Library