Monopoly Saved Soldiers During WWII

Almost everyone has played the game of Monopoly. Although there is evidence that the idea for the game of Monopoly was stolen, it is popularly agreed that the game was created in 1933 by Charles Darrow. In 1935, he sold it to Parker Brothers Company.

The American-based game quickly became one of the most popular board games in the world. In 2007, people found out that during World War II the game played a major role in assisting prisoners of war to escape German prison camps. It gives a whole new outlook on receiving a “Get Out of Jail Free” card!

During World War II, 232,000 Allied troops and 7 million Russian troops were imprisoned in prisoner of war camps located in Eastern Germany and Austria. Because of the location of these camps, escaping from them was difficult. Find out how a Monopoly game helped some prisoners escape.