Camp Concordia Camp Concordia was a Prisoner - of - war camp that operated from 1943 - 1945 . Its location is two miles north and one mile east of Concordia , Kansas . The camp was used primarily for German army prisoners during World War II who were captured in battles that took place in Africa . Camp Concordia was the largest Kansas camp , holding over 4 , 000 prisoners ( some sources cite as high as 8 , 000 prisoners ) . The camp consisted of a complex of 300 buildings and was staffed by 800 United States soldiers . Daily life . The prisoners arrived at Camp Concordia by train . Authorities believed the soldiers could provide useful labor for agriculture , and , almost immediately , the Germans started working with local farmers . Interactions between prisoners . At least two reported cases of executions are recorded , both were made by prisoners on fellow prisoners ( some of whom were Gestapo agents . When conclusive evidice arose , the offenders were tried and sentenced to the federal penetentiary at Leavenworth . Interaction between locals . " Difficulties between POWs and local residents were few , and in fact friendships formed , " stated Lowell May , president of the camp ' s preservation society . " Only a handful of escape attempts occurred , none successful . " Life at the camp was easy compared with the war in Europe . Prisoners played outdoor sports , listened to band performances and took courses offered by the University of Kansas . Return to Germany . The prisoners headed back to Germany in the autumn of 1945 , some of them harboring pleasant memories of Kansas . Franz Kramer of Gundelfingen , Germany , said : " There was no reason to criticize American authorities . The prisoners felt that they were well treated . We learned a little of the American way of life and saw part of the vast country . " Later Years . Once the POW camp closed , one of the buildings , Building T - 9 , was on a list acquired by the Federal Land Bank in June 7 , l947 . In October l947 , the City of Concordia purchased 166 . 7 acres of camp acreage , including buildings , with the intent of establishing a park and re - locating the Cloud County fairgrounds to the site . Plans for the park never came to pass and the City eventually sold Building T - 9 as well as other buildings and acreage . T - 9 was subsequently used as a skating rink , hog farm , canoe factory , and during the l960 ' s , as storage for a horse racetrack called Thundercloud Park located on the camp property . The camp today . Several structures of the camp remain , including a prison warehouse used for storage , an officers club , and a restored guard tower . Only the guard tower is easily accessible to the public . The land is now used primarily for farming , although some houses have been built on the land as well . The original guard house remains and has been restored . Today , correspondence continues between former POWs , their relatives and Concordia residents . Camp records have been transferred and maintained at the Cloud County Historical Museum in Concordia . On display at the museum are also many items of interest about Camp Concordia including several original paintings created by prisoners at Camp Concordia .