The Internment Research Centre (IRC) in Hawick is open to anyone interested in past and present internment throughout the world. Its resources range from local to global and offer fascinating insights into the home front experience, military history, minorities in wartime and family history. It can be visited in conjunction with a nearby archaeological site of international importance: Stobs Camp was an internment camp for civilian and military Prisoners of War during the First World War.
IRC is a collaboration between the Heritage Hub Hawick, Archaeology Scotland and Aston University, Birmingham. Its advisory board consists of international leading scholars who work closely with the general public to make sure that collections and activities of the centre are relevant and user friendly. IRC has been established with funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Material can be searched through the Heritage Hub Online Catalogue located here.
Please Note: Digital Copies are available for most items. Contact the Archives for more information.
We offer:
- Library with specialist titles.
- Substantial collection of primary sources with a focus on the First World War.
- Translations of Stobsiade, the camp newspaper, produced by the internees and Prisoners of War.
- Translation of Karl Karle’s diary, an internee at Stobs Camp, Lancaster Camp, and Knockaloe Camp
- Walking distance to Hawick Museum with First World War room and further collections.
- Regular events for the general public on all aspects of internment.
- Visits to Stobs camp site with a volunteer, subject to arrangements.
- A UK Education Pack for P7 and older: Minorities on the Homefront ‘Enemy Alien’ internment in The British Empire 1914-1919.
- A South African Education Pack for Grade 8 and older: Minorities and Internment in South Africa during the Great War 1914-1919.
- An online exhibition also available for display
We are continuously expanding our collections. If you have any original texts, items or information pertaining to internment please get in touch. We would love to talk to you about ways in which their existence or content can be communicated to the wider research community.
Advisory board:
- Prof Stefan Manz, Aston University Birmingham, UK (lead academic contact)
- Mr Paul Brough, Heritage Hub Hawick (lead organisational contact)
- Prof Matthew Stibbe, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
- Prof Panikos Panayi, De Montfort University Leicester, UK
- Dr Tim Grady, University of Chester, UK
- Prof Tammy Proctor, Utah State University, USA
- Prof Bohdan Kordan, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
- Prof Tilman Dedering, University of South Africa, Pretoria
This map is a work in progress. To view a searchable version of the map click here.