AUGUSTA — The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine has created an exhibit highlighting the history of Maine’s P.O.W. camps between 1944 and 1946.
“Maine Boys Overseas, German Boys in Maine” brings together artifacts, historical documents and a film from a variety of Maine sources.
In early February 1944, Maine Second District Congresswoman Margaret Chase Smith revealed that the War Department had plans to send German prisoners of war to Maine to work on lumber projects. A month later, Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster announced that 2,500 German POWs had been assigned to Maine and would be housed at a camp near the Houlton airfield, and possibly other locations.
With that, a little-known chapter began in Maine history.
The HHRC exhibit includes artifacts from the POW camps at Houlton, Spencer Lake, Seboomooc and Princeton/Indian Township, along with 10 WWII posters from the Maine State Museum and documents from the National Archives.
“Maine Boys Overseas, German Boys in Maine” is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and by appointment, through Nov. 30. The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine is on University Drive. For more information, call 621-3530 or visit hhrc.uma.edu.
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