"Colditz Castle in Saxony, Germany, sits high on a precipitous cliff face that towers above a tributary of the river Mulde. First built in the 11th century, the forbidding castle was variously used as a lunatic asylum, a sanatorium for the wealthy, and, through the 1930s, as a prison for enemies of Nazi Germany. In 1939, the castle took on its most famous role: a camp for Allied prisoners of war who had repeatedly attempted to escape from less secure camps."
"The imposing castle was certainly a good choice for a prison camp. Tunnelling out, the traditional first-choice escape method, was almost impossible since the castle was built on solid rock and sound detectors were in place. Unlike other camps, which were typically enclosed only by wire fencing that might be cut anywhere, there were very few ways in and out of the castle. The tiny windows in the prisoners' accommodation were barred, and most faced an outside drop of at least 100 feet (30 m)."
Colditz Castle perches on a steep cliff above a tributary of the river Mulde and dates from the 11th century. The forbidding structure served as a lunatic asylum, a sanatorium for the wealthy, and later as a prison for enemies of Nazi Germany. In 1939 the site became Offizier Lager IVC, an officers' POW camp that initially held Polish and French officers and later detainees from many nationalities. Notable prisoners included Douglas Bader, Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski, and David Stirling. The castle's defenses—solid rock foundations, sound detectors, tiny barred windows over 100-foot drops, a dry moat, high walls, barbed wire, sentries, dogs, and continuous searchlights—made tunnelling and escape extremely difficult, yet about 300 men managed to escape through a mix of failed and audacious attempts.
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