The community of Algona played an interesting role in World War 11, when it served as the location of a Prisoner of War (POW) Camp that housed thousands of German prisoners. This chapter of history is preserved through museum exhibits, art pieces, historical markers and even a feature film.
Tour the Algona POW Museum
The POW Museum recounts the history of the prisoner camp, Kossuth County military veterans who served, and stories about some of the 10,000 prisoners who were hosted at the camp between April 1944 and February 1946. Find museum hours on the organization’s website.
Algona on the silver screen
A feature film was created about this period of time called, “Silent Night in Algona” which was released in theaters in the fall of 2022. As of December 2023, the film is also available as a DVD and on streaming services. The movie was filmed in Algona and neighboring communities, with many locals serving as extras in the film. The movie was directed by Anthony Hornus and written and produced by DJ Perry.
Visit the Nativity Scene
The Algona Nativity Scene was built by Eduard Kaib, Horst Wendlandt, Eric Knoll and three friends who were Prisoners of War at Camp Algona. When the war ended, they donated the scene, which includes 65 one-half life size figures, to the town of Algona.
The Nativity Scene is now under the care of the First United Methodist Church of Algona and is located at the Kossuth Country Fairgrounds. Visiting hours can be found on the POW Museum website.
View the original site of the POW camp
The original site of the camp is the current location of the Algona Municipal Airport, west of town on Highway 18. Although the camp is no longer there, visitor’s can learn about the camp at an outdoor display available on the grounds of the airport.