Bletchley Park Week

Bletchley Park Week 19th – 24th February 2023

OXFORD, BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Once again we celebrated our unique partnership with Bletchley Park through a programme of events.

As the storm clouds of World War Two gathered over Britain, brilliant minds worked tirelessly at Bletchley Park to break the German Enigma cyphers.

With London under constant threat of bombing, many government and military organisations moved to Oxford, requisitioning College buildings and replacing the students who had left to contribute to the war effort with their staff. Many of the students who left were recruited by the Government Code and Cypher School, based at Bletchley Park.

This year’s Bletchley Park Week looked at the role played by these remarkable individuals, as well as how Oxford’s colleges and other British universities contributed to the Second World War.

Some of our events were recorded, watch below:

The Bletchley Park Codebreakers: In their own words Book launch

From Geographical Intelligence to Major Head Injuries

Oxford’s War: County, City, and University, 1939-45

‘Nice Girls’ and ‘Professor-Types’

Enigma Machine Demonstration

Bletchley Park’s Outreach Learning Officer Andrew Fryer and Exhibitions Manager Erica Munro take a closer look at an Enigma machine and how it works.

0:52​ – What is an Enigma machine?

1:07​ – How does an Enigma machine work?

2:02​ – How do the Enigma rotors work?

3:04​ – How do you set up an Enigma machine?

3:14​ – Enigma settings sheet

11:34​ – Enigma plugboard set up

14:34​ – Enigma three letter password