British Army officer's paintings of his four years in Colditz Castle sold to keep notorious Nazi prison camp open

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

A British war hero’s secret paintings depicting prisoner life inside Colditz Castle are being sold nearly 70 years later to help keep the notorious camp open.
Captive Major William Anderson turned to painting during four long years locked up in the Nazi prison camp.
His paintings show scenes from the grim prison camp including one where PoWs gathered in the courtyard in the depths of winter.

Talented: Major William Anderson painted numerous painters while a prisoner at Colditz Castle - including this one of the surrounding factories and homes in Leipzig

Hard time: Major William Anderson drew scenes of what life was like inside the prison grounds in winter

Impenetrable: Colditz Castle was meant to be escape proof as it was built on a rocky outcrop

On sale: The postcards are being sold for 80 pence each to visitors of the castle in Leipzig, Germany

Tourism chiefs in Germany were so impressed with Major Anderson’s works they decided they were ideal as a depiction of life inside the camp.

His family have now given permission for his painting to be turned into postcards that will be sold to thousands of visitors to the German castle.

Now the postcards are being sold for 80 pence to help go towards the upkeep of the sprawling castle.

Artist: Major Wililam Anderson, left, with fellow prisoner Captain Van der Heuvel on a return journey to Colditz years after they were liberated

 

Major Anderson, who died 17 years ago aged 95, spent four years in Colditz near Leipzig with hundreds of other officers regarded as high security risks.
The fortress built on a rocky outcrop was meant to be escape proof but Major Anderson used his skills to help dozens to break out of captivity in 20 separate escapes.
He was one of a team who used their artistic skills to forge travel documents cutting up floor lino to make false stamps.
Major Anderson, who won the Military Cross before he was captured, shared a room with Group Captain Douglas Bader who lost both legs when his plane crashed.
He also made the gun used by Airey Neave, the future Conservative MP, who was one of those who managed to escape and was later murdered by the IRA.
His son Stuart said yesterday: 'The family has selected four of the paintings, including the iconic one of the courtyard in winter.
'It was a long time before colour photography and it was a nice way of recording holidays and he took his skills with him wherever he went.
One of the other three water colours which the family have had printed on postcards, show prisoners playing a ball game in the courtyard.
Major Anderson used brushes and paints sent to the prison by the Red Cross.
Many of his other paintings were destroyed at Colditz because he needed the canvas to build the wings of a glider intended to help prisoners escape.
It was built in the castle’s attic but hadn't taken off when the Americans liberated the camp in 1945.

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