Schullandheim Wegscheide, Educational camp in Spessart region, Germany.
Schullandheim Wegscheide is a school camp in the Spessart forest, near Bad Orb in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis district of Germany, built to host school classes for stays of several days. The grounds hold a number of residential buildings, sports areas, and climbing structures, all surrounded by trees.
The grounds were first used as a military training area in 1911, then converted into a children's educational retreat after World War I. During World War II, the site became the prisoner of war camp known as Stalag IX B, where thousands were held under harsh conditions.
School groups spend several days here cooking together, building shelters, and learning to find their way through the forest. The place is set up so that children do things in the forest rather than just observe it.
The site is primarily reserved for school groups, so access outside of organized programs is limited. It is easiest to reach by car via Bad Orb, and paths on the grounds run through forest and can be uneven.
A memorial cemetery on the grounds holds the graves of around 1430 Soviet prisoners of war who died in Stalag IX B. This cemetery sits in the middle of what is now an active school camp and often goes unnoticed until visitors walk further into the grounds.
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