For Fans of Hogan's Heroes

Still funny after all these years.

As you know, the 60's TV show Hogan's Heroes was set in a POW camp called Stalag 13, near the town of Hammelburg in World War II Germany. I had kind of assumed the camp and town were fictional, but no.

There really is a town called Hammelburg. And there really was a POW camp called Stalag 13 on the outskirts of Hammelburg.

Hogan's Heroes was an enormously successful sitcom. It ran for six seasons from 1965 through 1971 and apparently will live forever in reruns. At any moment, those episodes are probably playing somewhere in the world.

Even Germany was not immune to their offbeat, somewhat controversial humor.

Hogan's Heroes was dubbed into German during the 90's and has been playing on German TV for years as well, where it runs as the very popular A Cage Full of Heroes (Ein Käfig voller Helden). The German version was recently released on DVD.

A Trip to Hammelburg

I confess to being a Hogan's Heroes addict. As a result, I couldn't resist visiting Hammelburg on a recent trip to Germany. Of course I also went out to the site of the former Stalag 13.

Hammelburg turned out to be a delightful surprise! I would have been thrilled to be there, even if it had been dreary and boring, but it was nothing of the sort. It is a pretty little town nestled in a steep valley, with vineyards climbing the hillsides and a medieval castle close by.

Stalag 13, or what used to be the POW camp, is still being used as a military post. Many of the old buildings are gone, but some remain, and it is now occupied by the German army. The camp is the home of the German Infantry School. Consequently, Hammelburg is swarming with German soldiers, giving it an interesting twist.

If you are curious about the history of the real Stalag 13, see Stalag 13 History.

Hogan's Heroes was filmed on the back lot of Paramount Pictures. Here is a photo of the TV set; Stalag 13 is at the top right. Click on the photo to make it bigger. (This site, www.retroweb.com, has some fascinating photographs of many TV series and movie sets).

Hogan speaks German!

Want a taste of the Hogan's Heroes in German? Here is a scene from "War Takes a Holiday", or "Ihr Grösste Bluff".

Newkirk stutters, and Schultz and Klink have exaggerated regional accents (Bavarian and Saxon).

Politically Incorrect?

Some have criticized Hogan's Heroes for bad taste in setting a comedy in a Nazi prison camp. Here is an excellent article by Leslie Rampey, Ph. D., discussing the political controversy surrounding the show: www.geocities.com/lrampey/hogan.htm. She received a reply from Robert Clary, who played the Frenchman Lebeau. Clary's letter is viewable on her site.