Stalag VIII-A

Stalag VIII-A
Görlitz (Zgorzelec), Lower Silesia
Stalag VIII-A Show map of Poland Stalag VIII-A Show map of Germany
Coordinates	51°07′17″N 15°00′36″E / 51.12152°N 15.01002°E / 51.12152; 15.01002
Type	Prisoner-of-war camp
Site information
Controlled by	Nazi Germany
Site history
In use	1939–1945
Battles/wars	World War II
Garrison information
Occupants	Polish POWs and civilians, Belgian, French, Soviet, British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, South African, Italian, Yugoslav, Slovak, American and other Allied POWs

Stalag VIII-A was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp, located just to the south of the town of Görlitz in Lower Silesia, east of the River Neisse. The location of the camp lies in today's Polish town of Zgorzelec, which lies over the river from Görlitz.

It was originally set up as a Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth) camp, converted in October 1939 to house Polish prisoners (both soldiers and civilians), and later held up to 30,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs), including Belgians, the French, Soviets, Britons, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Italians, Yugoslavs, Slovaks and Americans, before its evacuation in February 1945. Its most famous inmate was French composer Olivier Messiaen.