Walchum: Camp History, Village Ensemble and Swimming Lake

Walchum brings together the history of former Camp IV, a rural ensemble around the local heritage house and a swimming lake on the western edge of the village. This places very different themes side by side: confronting Nazi persecution and forced labour, village architecture and community life, and time by the water. This range can help you balance cultural interests and plans for swimming when planning your trip.

Camp IV: History and Remembrance

Walchum Camp IV was planned as a judicial penal camp for 500 prisoners and was completed in May 1935. Expansion plans drawn up in December 1936 envisaged increasing the planned capacity to 1,000 prisoners by 1939. Walchum was one of the Emsland camps, which were administered by the justice authorities from 1934 to 1945.

The composition of the prisoner population changed over time. Before the Second World War, people persecuted by the Nazi regime for political, racial, social or religious reasons were imprisoned there. During the war, prisoners were mainly former soldiers convicted by military courts. Foreign prisoners from territories occupied or annexed by Germany were also imprisoned there, including Poles, Czechs and Luxembourgers.

Prisoners had to perform eight to twelve hours of forced labour in the moor each day, including drainage work, road construction and peat extraction. After 1939, they were increasingly assigned to war-related businesses and agriculture. In February 1945, 167 prisoners remained in the camp; in early April 1945, they were transferred to Aschendorfermoor.

Civil registers document 71 deaths at Camp IV; the actual number is likely to have been higher. Information boards at former Emsland camp sites explain the history of each camp, including at the former site of Walchum Camp IV.

An Ensemble Around the Local Heritage House

Around the Walchum local heritage house, a multi-generational house, an open-air stage, a village pond, a bakehouse and a carriage house form a cohesive rural ensemble. The focus is therefore not on a single building, but on how several elements work together.

Another historical connection can be found in nearby Hasselbrock: the Catholic Church of the Holy Family was built in 1952–1953 in traditional brickwork, based on designs by Lingen architect Wilhelm Ruge. Hasselbrock received a rectory in 1954 and became an independent parish in 1976.

Places by the Water and Local Traditions

Herzogsee, also known as Walchum Swimming Lake, is on the western edge of Walchum. Its bathing beach slopes gently into the water. There is a kiosk and a toilet block at the bathing area. As facilities may change, check their condition before your visit.

Between Walchum and Hasselbrock, Seepark Eiken lies on the sandy shore of a clear swimming lake. The water and shore meadows are open to the public; a shallow-water area is also designated for children and less confident swimmers. Check visitor information about access before your trip, as it may change.

Food culture has a tangible local connection, too: at a Walchum event in 2026, buckwheat pancakes were prepared by hand using an old Emsland recipe. They are part of a recurring local tradition. Before your trip, check whether a suitable event is taking place.

Walchum in the Wider Emsland Destination

If you would like to include other destinations, you can also explore the wider Emsland destination. It has more than 3,500 kilometres of well-signposted cycle paths for exploring the region. Then check how close each accommodation option is to the places you plan to visit.

Discover more destinations: Niederlangen, Bawinkel, Salzbergen, Papenburg, Heede, Werpeloh, Dohren, Rastdorf.

Back to the wider travel overview: Emsland.