In partnership with Jersey Heritage, we have just launched the new “Forced Labour Camps in Jersey” themed route on the Channel Island of Jersey. This latest addition to the Liberation Route Europe invites visitors and residents alike to explore a lesser-known chapter of the Second World War: the history of forced and slave labour under Nazi occupation.
Tracing the history of forced labour on Jersey
Between the autumn of 1941 and 1944, approximately 6,000 foreign workers were brought to Jersey against their will by the Organisation Todt, responsible for major civil and military construction projects across occupied Europe. These men, and some women, were forced to work under harsh, and even dangerous, brutal conditions on the island.
They were housed in 13 forced labour camps, often located close to construction sites. Today, these locations are the focus of the new route, marked by the first Liberation Route Europe Vectors of Memory ever installed in the Channel Islands. The trail connects each site, offering visitors insights into the stories of the workers.
The labourers were assigned physically demanding and dangerous tasks, including building concrete fortifications, excavating tunnel systems, transporting sand and stone, and unloading materials from barges. They came from across Europe and beyond, including Algeria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Senegal, Spain, Tunisia and Ukraine. Their experiences varied significantly: workers from Western Europe and North Africa were generally conscripted or forced labourers, receiving limited payment in Occupation Reichsmarks and restricted movement outside working hours under curfew, while Soviet workers from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia were treated as slave labourers, with no pay, minimal rations, no freedom of movement, and systematic violence and abuse. The precise status of Polish workers remains, for now, unclear.
Integrating these sites into the commemorative landscape
This new route embeds these histories, and the experiences of those involved, into the European WWII commemorative landscape, ensuring they are not forgotten.
“The launch of this route is a significant step in acknowledging a painful part of Jersey’s wartime history,” said Emme Johnson, Project Manager at the LRE Foundation. “By marking these sites and sharing the stories of those who suffered here, we hope to foster reflection, awareness and a deeper understanding of the human impact of occupation and forced labour. The installation of Vectors of Memory at these sites is also another step to ensure they remain physicallly represented in Jersey’s landscape”
Plan your visit
This new trail marks the fifth Liberation Route Europe route on Jersey, further strengthening the island’s role within the wider European memory landscape.
The route is fully accessible via the Liberation Route Europe website and mobile app, where visitors can explore all locations, read the stories connected to each site, and plan their journey in advance. For those wishing to experience the trail on the ground, GPX files are also available, making it easy to navigate between the former camp sites at their own pace.
