Walchum – Local History and Herzogsee
Accommodation in Walchum
Walchum brings together a rural heritage complex around the local heritage house, the history of former Camp IV, and Lake Herzogsee on the western edge of town. When planning your stay, you can explore a range of themes: local and camp history, as well as a destination by the water.
Local History and Remembrance
The rural complex around the Walchum local heritage house includes a multi-generational house, an open-air stage, a village pond, a bakehouse, and a carriage house. The different elements form a cohesive ensemble and offer several perspectives on local history.
Walchum was one of the Emsland penal camps, which were administered by the justice authorities from 1934 to 1945. Camp IV Walchum was planned as a judicial penal camp for 500 prisoners and completed in May 1935. In December 1936, expansion plans proposed increasing the planned capacity to 1,000 prisoners by 1939.
Before the Second World War, people persecuted by the Nazi regime for political, racial, social, or religious reasons were imprisoned there. During the war, the prisoners were mainly former soldiers sentenced by military courts. Foreign prisoners from territories occupied or annexed by Germany were also held there, including Poles, Czechs, and Luxembourgers.
Prisoners were forced to work in the moor for eight to twelve hours a day, for example on drainage, road construction, and peat extraction. After 1939, prisoners were increasingly deployed in war-related businesses and in agriculture. In February 1945, 167 prisoners remained in Camp IV; in early April, they were transferred to Aschendorfermoor. Civil registers document 71 deaths, though the actual number was probably higher.
Information boards at the former Emsland camp sites explain the history of each camp, including that of former Camp IV Walchum. These displays place the camp in the context of the history of the Emsland camps.
By the Water: Herzogsee and Seepark Eiken
Lake Herzogsee lies on the western edge of Walchum. Its gently sloping bathing beach gives the lake a distinctive character alongside the town’s historical attractions. There is a kiosk and a toilet building at the bathing area. Facilities may change, so check the latest information before your visit.
Seepark Eiken is located on the sandy shore of a clear bathing lake between Walchum and Hasselbrock. The water and the meadows along the shore are open to the public; a shallow-water area is also designated for children and less confident swimmers. Visitor information about access may change, so it is advisable to check before setting out.
Hasselbrock and Regional Traditions
In nearby Hasselbrock, the Catholic Church of the Holy Family was built in 1952 and 1953 in a traditional brick style, based on designs by Lingen architect Wilhelm Ruge. Hasselbrock received a rectory in 1954 and became an independent parish in 1976. These dates add the postwar development of the church and community to the local history.
Buckwheat pancakes are also part of the region’s food traditions: at a Walchum event in 2026, they were prepared by hand using an old Emsland recipe. The local heritage association documents this preparation as a recurring local tradition. If you plan to try the dish, check the dates and food offerings for the event in question.
Discover more destinations: Kluse, DĂĽthe, Vrees, Rhede, Renkenberge, Papenburg, Werpeloh, EmsbĂĽren.
For the broader travel overview: Emsland.
