Image: A painting of a red brick mosque with a dome and a minaret. Text in blue and gold: Fighting with Faith: a WWI POW Camp of Propaganda

In 1915, Germany built a mosque in a prisoner-of-war camp. The camp population was made up of soldiers of diverse militaries, nationalities, ethnicities, and languages. They all had one thing in common: their religion.

This digital exhibition explores the alliance between Germany and the Ottoman Empire during World War I and why they built a campaign of propaganda targeting Muslims. It investigates the Halbmondlager, or "Half Moon Camp," with a close look at the ways in which Germany and the Ottoman Empire fought for the hearts and minds of prisoners -- including the construction of the first mosque on German soil.

Fighting with Faith reflects on how nations and people shape political and religious ideas, and the reverberating consequences of those actions.

Black and white photograph of groups of men in prison uniform marching in lines across an open space. A mosque is in the background. Text: Mohammedan Prisoners of War Being Drilled and Disciplined in Training for Entering the German Army. The mosque in the background was build as a gift from the German Emperor to the Mohammedans.

Exhibition Navigation

Click on a section to explore the story of the Half Moon Camp.

Introduction

World War I was a global conflict. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand started a chain reaction of alliances across the globe. Networks of nations banded together, against others.

WWI and Jihad

For Germany, jihad was a useful concept to weaken rival empires. The German alliance with the Ottoman Empire gave them access to a large population of potential Muslim soldiers.

The Mosque

From the beginning of the Half Moon Camp, there were plans to build a mosque. The mosque was the first functioning mosque in Germany.

Epilogue

Following the end of World War I, the German government closed the Half Moon Camp. They returned most remaining prisoners to their home countries.

Glossary

Glossary of terms for Fighting With Faith. Refer here if you come across a word you're unfamiliar with!

Exhibition Image Gallery

Click on each image to go to the exhibition page it is on and learn more about it.
Sepia photograph of a group of darker-skinned men sitting on the ground wearing robes and head coverings.
Drawing of two men wearing cloaks, loose clothing and head coverings and a third similarly-attired man on a horse
Scan of a cartoon depicting men of different nationalities gathered in a circle. Text: L'Assiette au Leurre / Echos des Aborts
Scan of a map with countries and empires filled in with various colors
Scan of a postcard featuring the German flag and multiple nations' shield crests along with green leafy boughs
Black and white photograph of groups of men in prison uniform marching in lines across an open space. A mosque is in the background.
Color illustration of the exterior of the Halbmondlager mosque, featuring a dome roof and a tall minaret.
Black and white photograph of a man wearing a heavily decorated German uniform and steel helmet standing next to a man wearing a decorated robe and fez hat. Both are surrounded by various men in German and Ottoman uniforms.
Black and white photograph of a group of men wearing heavy coats and fez hats walking away from a domed building.
Architectural drawings of a domed mosque with a minaret
Scan of a pencil sketch of a mosque with sketched human figures walking around it
Sepia photograph of three men wearing turbans standing facing each other while each raising or waving two wooden paddles, in front of a large group of onlookers.
Vintage map of Turkey and Middle East regions
Black and white photo of a signpost with a stylized figure carved into the post
Political cartoon depicting a mustached man dressed as a chef presenting a tray with a globe on it to three other mustached men dressed in different nationalities' military uniforms sitting around a table
Scan of the front page of a newspaper written in Arabic script.
Black and white photograph of rows of men standing in an open space with low wooden buildings in the background
Sepia photograph of a column of men wearing coats walking out of the frame. Besides the coats, they are wearing a variety of trousers, robes, fez hats and turbans.
Black and white photograph of darker-skinned men dressed in loose clothing and turbans sitting and standing in groups in an open area.
Pen and ink illustration of a mosque interior with a person in robes and turban kneeling in front of house-like structures inside the mosque
Sepia photograph of two men dressed in light form-fitting clothes handling a ball and coil of rope in front of onlookers
Sepia photograph of two men in stripped down to underclothes grappling with each other in front of onlookers
Sepia photograph of rows of men kneeling on prayer mats in an open area
Sepia photograph of men dressed in loose jackets and trousers standing in a semicircle playing instruments while another man in the middle conducts them
Black and white photograph of a large band standing in a circle playing on instruments for an even larger audience gathered around them
Black and white photograph of a small group of men smoking while playing cards around a wooden table outside a wooden building
Sepia photograph of a mustached man wearing loose clothing and a flowing head covering, holding a cigarette in his fingers
Black and white photograph of a group of men in suits and fez hats standing outside low wooden buildings
Vintage-looking map of Europe, West Asia and Africa with inserted text. Text: Origin of POWs at Halbmondlager. Text over Africa: 3200 POWs. Text over West Asia: 800 POWs.
Sepia photograph of a large group of men sitting and standing in front of a low wooden building.
Sepia photograph of a man in military uniform with a fez hat and a sword speaking to a man wearing simple robes and a fez hat. Several other men in suits and fez hats stand around them.
Sepia photograph of a crowd of people gathered in front of a domed mosque
Scan of two front pages of a propaganda newspaper. The left scan is in Hindi script, the right scan is in Urdu script. Both pages feature a painting depicting a line of cannons with men tied to the mouths of the cannons.
Vintage poster with a painting depicting a man in Algerian military uniform embracing a woman who is holding a child in a dress by the hand.
Colorized photograph of a large group of men standing behind barbed wire looking at the viewer. They are dressed in a variety of national clothing.
Sepia photograph of a group of dark-skinned men wearing heavy coats, standing in a row, looking at the viewer.
Sepia photograph of four men wearing wide-brimmed hats. Two are standing behind the other two, who are crouching and laying bricks along a wooden building frame.

This digital exhibition is sponsored by Lilly Endowment Inc.

Logo of Lilly Endowment Inc.

 

Fighting with Faith: a WWI POW Camp of Propaganda is made possible in part by the generosity of Museum and Memorial donors. Three items in the exhibition were provided by partner institutions: the State Museums of Berlin, Humboldt University, Berlin and the Leo Baeck Institute – New York.