Prisoners locked down during the war used intellect and creativity to survive

The British Isles’ last lockdown – when German Jewish refugees were interned on the Isle of Man – sparked a creative and intellectual renaissance after the war. During their confinement these emigres founded a university, theatre, gallery and an orchestra, reports William Cook

Camps were composed of boarding houses on the seafront but only one room was heated (Popperfoto/Getty)

Many Britons have been keen to follow the Queen in evoking folk memories of the Second World War. From the tabloids to the twitterati, “Blitz Spirit” has become a popular rallying cry in the battle with coronavirus. Fair enough. If it works for you, good luck to you – whatever floats your boat. In times like these we all need stories that inspire us to keep going, to keep calm and carry on.

As someone whose two grandfathers fought on opposite sides in the Second World War, I’ve always felt a bit conflicted about this sort of thing (my English grandfather lost a brother at El Alamein – my German grandmother lost a brother on the Russian Front). However, even I can see that for a lot of people, the war has become a useful reference point in our struggle against the virus. Sure, it may be inadequate and imprecise, but it’s still a handy shorthand. Why, even Angela Merkel has harked back to it, calling Covid-19 the greatest challenge Germans have faced since the Second World War.

For those brave Britons on the frontline (doctors, nurses, care home workers, transport workers…), the Blitz is probably a fitting metaphor. For layabouts like me, sat at home, a different war story springs to mind. As someone with a German passport and a British passport (and deep feelings for both nations), I’ve been drawing inspiration from the oft-forgotten tale of those “enemy aliens” who were interned on the Isle of Man during the war.