Treskau training camp in Poland

The Treskau barracks was located 20 km north of the city of Posen in the western part of Poland. In the 1800s, the town was called Owinsk and was part of Germany until 1919. From 1919–39 Poland was an independent state. From 1939, a troop training area, “Warthe Lager,” was established along the Warta River and renamed Treskau (after the local large landowner). From around 1250 there had been a monastery here, later converted into a welfare institution. The military maintained its presence in the area, and German troops again took over the military facilities (originally built by Germany prior to WWI) in 1939. The monastery was evacuated and converted into barracks and administration buildings. From 16 September 1941 the camp became the training barracks for the independent Danish horse-drawn battalion “Frikorps Danmark.” From 1 October 1942 the camp was converted into an SS NCO school, part of which moved on 15 October 1943 to Radolfzell. In spring 1944, students from the bombed SS Junkerschule Braunschweig were transferred to Treskau. It functioned as an NCO and officer school until 23 January 1945, when the area was taken by Soviet forces. Further information can be found in the book “Die letzten Junker aus Treskau” by Rudolf Kuntzsch.