# Encore: An infamous WWII prison and the soldiers who tried to escape

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/conversations-320217/encore-an-infamous-wwii-prison-and-the-soldiers-who-tried-to-escape
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/conversations-320217/encore-an-infamous-wwii-prison-and-the-soldiers-who-tried-to-escape.md
Podcast: [Conversations](https://stenobird.com/podcast/conversations-320217)
Published: 2026-09-01T01:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/ben-macintyre-on-the-true-story-of-colditz/107087470
Audio file: https://mediacore-live-production.akamaized.net/audio/02/o2/Z/h8.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/conversations-320217/episodes/encore-an-infamous-wwii-prison-and-the-soldiers-who-tried-to-escape
Duration seconds: 3060

## Resource

British writer Ben Macintyre on the eerie history of Colditz Castle which the Germans used as a prisoner of war camp during World War II. Since the Middle Ages, Colditz Castle has existed in some form, perched on the edge of a cliff in eastern Germany. Colditz has served as a royal hunting lodge, a madhouse, and most famously as a prisoner of war camp during World War II. It was said to be inescapable, but that didn't stop the English officers from trying to escape the nightmare of this gloomy fortress, and the clutches of the Germans. Ben Macintyre tells the full story of Colditz and the men imprisoned there, who were as flawed as they were heroic legend. Further Information Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle is published by Penguin This episode of Conversations explores history, World War 2, prisoners of war, Colditz Castle, Germany, allied soldiers, the officer class, escape, prison, solitary confinement, heroes, the middle ages, research, first hand accounts. To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/conversations-320217/episodes/encore-an-infamous-wwii-prison-and-the-soldiers-who-tried-to-escape/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/conversations-320217/encore-an-infamous-wwii-prison-and-the-soldiers-who-tried-to-escape.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.