Olympics @ War Heritage Institute

Sport is the theme of summer 2024, even at the War Heritage Institute. The opportunity to explore the iconography about sport in our art collections!

Firstly, you can see below two pen drawings by anonymous artists with the initials J.L. and M.J. respectively. These unknown Belgian soldiers were forced to stay at the Prenzlau prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. OFLAG IIA was located around 93 km north of Berlin and housed mainly Belgian and Polish officers. A double barbed wire fence and seven watchtowers surrounded the 7-hectare camp. In this prisoner of war camp, as in many others, playing sports and holding sports competitions was generally a popular pastime for the officers and soldiers.

Another artist we would like to introduce is Charly (Charles) Binamé, a Belgian officer. He spent a period at Prenzlau as well as in two other OFLAGs. Through his son, Canadian director Charles Binamé, we received an exceptional donation in 2021 of the original drawings made by his father, nicknamed Charly, during his captivity. His drawings and watercolours are characterised by the caricatured touch he gave to his characters and aquarelle paintings. Such humour presumably made life in captivity more bearable.

Below are three drawings by Charly Binamé. They depict sporting competitions that took place during his imprisonment at OFLAG VIIIC in Juliusburg (now Dobroszyce, Poland). The camp was located in the former Amalienstift monastery, where Charly stayed from 12 October 1940 to July 1942. Part of the convent incidentally became an orphanage set up by the nuns from November 1940.

We can see two sides playing volleyball in the courtyard of the Juliusburg camp. On the foreground sit the referees described as 'Les arbitres au premier plan, sont juchés sur un échafaudage de fortune' or The referees on the foreground sit on a makeshift scaffold. That improvised scaffolding is made up of Swedish benches.

The ink on paper drawing with inventory no. 202310031: "Championship jeu de pelote in Oflag VIII C, summer 1941", by Charly Binamé shows an unusual sport, specifically handball or balle pelote in French. It was already known to the elite at the court of Burgundy in the 15th century. From the 19th century onwards, it became a popular sport practised in various parts of the country with clubs in Soignies, Brain-le-Comte and Aalst, among others. In 1902, a federation was founded in the country, bringen together the handball teams that existed at the time. In 1927, the Royal National Handball Federation was founded. Today, the headquarters of the Handball Federation are still in Brussels. On four occasions in the history of the Olympic Games, it even became a demonstration sport. The last time was during the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games. Handball was already a popular sport even among the prisoner of war camp in Juliusburg, which was enjoyed by a wide and varied audience.

Overlooking the courtyard and the right wing of the former monastery, you can see a tennis net along which two players are passing a ring back and forth. Some inmates rest seated or lying down, while others watch the match standing or standing with their shirts off. The game, called deck tennis, takes place between the high claustrophobic walls, with spectators hanging from the windows, giving the scene a playful aspect.

The fact is that, at the time, sports and games also provided a much-needed moment of entertainment and relaxation during captivity.

Go Team Belgium during these summer games!