History Day - World War II

German Bund in Southbury was sometimes called the Southbury Bund. This inaccurate, as the town blocked it.

In 1937, the German American Bund, an U.S. Nazi organization, tried to establish a large training camp in the Kettletown section of Southbury, CT. Residents, "Kettletowners", worked to block what would be the largest Bund camp in New England. They distributed flyers, the local newspaper reported on it, ministers preached against it. The town created a zoning commission as a step towards blocking teh camp.

Sources from resources below.

Also look to the Southbury Historical Society and the United State Holocaust Memorial Museum.

In the past we found a tremendous amount of information on this topic in the Wilbur Cross papers.

• There is a folder in Gov. Wilbur Cross’s records for 1937-39 (archival Record Group #005:026) which pertains to: Nazi Camp, Southbury

• Zoning Regulations for the Town of Southbury Connecticut, 1937. Photocopy of page 1-9 in GIRS Vertical File. Ask at GIRS Reference Desk until we get a copy to upload.

Here are a few examples of citations to articles - many of which the library may have on microfilm.

Also search our newspaper databases.

• Waterbury Republican. November 15, 1937
  • Newspaper broke the story, according to article of April 29, 2018, page 15A
  • Newspaper Room Microfilm ; AN104.W3 R47
• Waterbury Republican. November 14, 1937, front page of second section.
  • Article covering special town meeting, according to article of April 29, 2018, page 15A
  • Newspaper Room Microfilm ; AN104.W3 R47
• "Fighting Hate. Southbury's Stand Against Nazis Part of Holocaust Exhibit." by Michael Degirolamo Jr., The Sunday Republican  (Waterbury), April 29, 2018, page A1 -.
  • Newspaper Room Microfilm ; AN104.W3 R47
  • Article includes some images and a map.