Traded to the Enemy: A Conversation with Wes Wesselhoeft

On December 12, 1942, the Crystal City Family Internment Camp opened in Crystal City, Texas. A direct result of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of anyone deemed a threat to national security, Crystal City housed almost 5,000 “enemy aliens” of German, Italian, and Japanese descent between 1942 and 1945. At age 6, Wes Wesselhoeft, an American citizen born to German immigrants, was taken with his family from their Chicago home and put on a train to Crystal City. A year later, Wes and his family were sent to Germany, traded for American prisoners of war.

Join the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum to hear about Wes Wesselhoeft's internment in Crystal City, his life in Germany, and his eventual return to the United States.

This program is presented in conjunction with our current special exhibition, Courage and Compassion: The Japanese American World War II Experience, on view at the museum through June 12, 2022. This exhibition will be open for viewing during the reception beginning at 6:00 p.m.

In-Person Visiting Guidelines: Face masks for visitors, staff, and volunteers are optional. Self-parking is available in the Museum’s garage, located directly across the street from the Museum. Special event parking is a flat rate of $8, with selected membership discounts.

Click here to register.