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Knockaloe Camp breadboard

Date made: 1914-1918

Maker: Atelier Kazmarek

Description: A circular wooden breadboard with bas relief carving around the rim. The rim is handcarved with a band of barbed wire around the edge with four small motifs or medallions around edge of the three legs design, a Manx cat and the initials 'J.L.'. The board has the inscription 'Atelier Kazmarek 1846 Knockaloe Isle of Man Camp I' inscribed onto the back, which refers to the 'artist's studio or workshop of Kazmarek'. On the ICRC database of prisoners of war there is an entry for Nicolas Kaczmarek [sic] with Red Cross Information Bureau number 29767 and Knockaloe Camp number 1846. His index card records that he was in May 1915 in Camp II, Hut 4a. His next of kin was shown as: M. Kaczmarek i/Firma S. Knapf & Cie, Basel. His nationality was Austro-Hungarian.

The bread board is extremely unusual in having barbed wire as a motif in the design. Internees were held on the Isle of Man in two camps, a requisitioned holiday camp in Douglas and a purpose built camp located at Knockaloe near Peel on the west coast of the Island. These held at their peaks over 4,000 and 23,000 men in some cases for nearly five years between opening in 1914 and final closure in 1919. Over 30,000 men passed through Knockaloe between 1914 and 1917 more than the population of Douglas the largest town.

Measurements: overall: 32.5 cm

Materials: wood

Object name: breadboard

Collection: Social History Collection

ID Number: 1978-0186

Subject tags : #WW1INTERNMENTMUSEUMCOLLECTIONS

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