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.
Colored sketch of a signpost. The post is painted with an image of a bearded man wearing a turban. The left sign says 'Topchin' and the right sign says 'Wunsdorf'.
Sepia photograph of a large group of men sitting and standing in front of a low wooden building.
Black and white photograph of rows of men standing in an open space with low wooden buildings in the background
Scan of a cartoon depicting men of different nationalities gathered in a circle. Text: L'Assiette au Leurre / Echos des Aborts
Black and white photograph of a group of men wearing heavy coats and fez hats walking away from a domed building.
Scan of a map with countries and empires filled in with various colors
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.
Architectural drawings of a domed mosque with a minaret
Scan of a pencil sketch of a mosque with sketched human figures walking around it
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
Black and white photograph of rows of barrack structures
Vintage map of Turkey and Middle East regions
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.
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.
Black and white photograph of groups of men in prison uniform marching in lines across an open space. A mosque is in the background.
Poster with a colorful illustration of a man in Middle Eastern dress riding a horse into a line of enemies
Political cartoon depicting a mustached man wearing a turban and şalvar (baggy Turkish trousers) pushing another mustached man with a scimitar and fez hat in front of a third mustached man wearing a fur cap and Russian military uniform
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.
Color cartoon depicting a man wearing a fez hat seated on suitcases, while a second man wearing a German steel helmet pats his shoulders
Sepia photograph of a group of darker-skinned men sitting on the ground wearing robes and head coverings.
Black and white portrait photograph of a bearded man wearing a fur hat
Sepia photograph of a group of men sitting and standing while posed for the photographer. They are wearing a mix of clothing from various nations.

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.