Papers of World War I internees | State Library of NSW

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During the First World War nearly 7000 ‘enemy aliens’, mainly of German and Austro-Hungarian origin, were interned in camps in Australia.

These are a selection from our collection of diaries written by camp internees.

A note book open to the first page, handwriting covers the lined page. The top of the page is dated August 14, 1915. The writing is in German.

Friedrich Meier, diary, 1914 -1915

Transcription of Friedrich Meier's diary [English]

Open lined exercise book filled with pencil hand written running writing - in German.

Philipp Wittmann, papers, 1915-1919

Transcription of Philipp Wittmann's diary [English]

Otto Wortmann, internment camp papers, 1916

Transcription of Otto Wortmann's diary [English]

Page from a lined notebook with tight handwriting in blue pen. The page is lined with illustrations.

Der Kamerad, 12 June 1915

Transcription of this issue of Der Kamerad [English]

Book open to a page showing advertisements in German.

Advertisement from Kamp Spiegel, 1916-1918

Transcription of Advertisement from Kamp Spiegel [English]

Page opening of a book with yellowed pages - calligraphic German script covers the pages.

Excerpt from Kamp Spiegel, 1916-1918

Transcription of Excerpt from Kamp Spiegel [English]

Excerpt from Welt am Montag, 1916-1918

Transcription of Excerpt from Welt am Montag [English]

Discover Exhibitions, stories and more

Internee collections: diaries of ‘enemy aliens’

by Anna Corkhill

UNESCO SIX

Saturday 6 October 2018 to Sunday 5 May 2019

Blocks of coloured black and white histrorical photograph