THUNDER BAY - The Thunder Bay Museum has partnered up with the Thunder Bay Military Museum for one of their latest exhibits.
Artwork by prisoners of war from World War II is now being displayed on the museum's third floor, highlighting what they experienced while being held captive in POW camps in northwestern Ontario.
One notable German submariner, Georg Hoegel, is prominently displayed in the exhibit and George Romick, director, Thunder Bay Military Museum, is one of the many servicemen who noticed Hoegel's art throughout his lifetime and led the way for it to be displayed.
“I was corresponding back and forth with them because there was a gentleman that was doing a book on Monteith and wanted to use one of these paintings in the book,” said Romick.
“So, I got a hold of Mr. Hoegel and got permission to do that and then just recently over the past two years I've been in contact with his granddaughter, Katarina and I let her know about the exhibit and the family is very happy that we're doing this display to honour her grandfather.”
Hoegel's art and materials were donated by the Red Cross to the Thunder Bay Museum, where they will be displayed until May 2023. Museum curator and archivist Michael deJong says it's important to display POW art in the museum since it's part of Northwestern. Ontario's history during World War Two.
“It's a wonderful partnership between the Thunder Bay Museum and the Thunder Bay Military Museum that allows us to benefit from having this wonderful artwork on display,” he said.
“And the opportunity for us to display it here within the context of the broader story about prisoners of war in northwestern Ontario, focusing on and then highlight the artifacts in our own collection that tells the story of of prisoners of war in this area.”
