1933-34. In the Castle a ‘Wild Camp’ for Nazi opponents was opened in 1933 by Rhom’s SA (Sturm Abteilung 1921), i.e the ‘Brown Shirts’.

Above. SA parade through the town from the Market along Sophienstrasse to Sophienplatz. Hotel Wettiner Hof was owned by Corp. Schaedlich (Ferret/Hawke).

Above. Rhom with Hitler.         Above. SA Other Ranks ‘Kepi’.

Above. SA insignia.                                                     SA Standard & SA Company flag.

Above. The Bakers by the ‘Adolf Hitler’ Bridge. Today it is still a Bakers. Flags hung out for an SA parade.

The Camp was watched over by the SS (Schutz Staffel 1925) i.e. ‘Black Shirts’ under Himmler (who were based in the ‘Shutzenhaus’ on the other side of town, down by the river Mulde).

 Above. Himmler with Hitler.                   SS service dagger.

Above. SS insignia.                                        

Above right. SS Standard, Battalion flag &  Regiment banners.

Rhom’s execution on Hitler’s orders (only 5 months after the above photo) and the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ saw the demise of the SA.

Local citizens complained to Berlin about cruel conditions and corruption at the ‘Wild Camp’.

Goering, as Head of the Police, gave control of all Concentration Camps to Himmler.

All ‘Wild Camps’ were closed and those that were not released were sent to regulation Concentration Camps. Those from Colditz were sent to Sachsenburg.

It is not known as to how many met their deaths at the Castle when it was a ‘Wild Camp’.