Prisoner of War Painting, "Sommer"

Painted by a German Prisoner of War, held in Glassboro, NJ, this mixed media artwork depicts a dirt road next to a field of tall grass or wheat. Blue and red flowers are seen along the edge of the field.

The artist painted this scene on thin non-acid free paper, which is likely some sort or packing paper. The clouds are painted with appears to be sign paint. The grass, sky, and road appears to be painted with watercolor. The tall grass was created with oil pastels. 

The artist signed his name, (we believe it is spelled Foramilli R) and the painting is dated 1945, and marked USA. In the bottom middle of the painting, the artist wrote, “Sommer,” which translates to Summer in German.

By all accounts, the German prisoners were well cared for and treated with respect. The prisoners were paid normal wages, had comfortable living quarters and even had time for leisure activities such as creating artwork.

During World War II, German prisoners of war were held in a camp in Glassboro. The approximate location of the camp was 152 Delsea Drive, map coordinates: 39.689897, -75.099849 The road next to the currently existing recreation area is called Labor Camp Road. 


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