How many of these prisoners died after being transferred to other concentration camps is unknown. Most of the concentration camp prisoners were released after four to eight weeks. Barbed wire fencing and barracks are visible at the right. Breitenau Concentration Camp Memorial Address: Brckenstrae 12, 34302 Guxhagen, Germany. found: Breitenau, 1993: t.p. Until the dissolution in March 1934, a total of 470 persons had been detained in the Breitenau concentration camp. In July 1934, when the elite Nazi guard known as the SS (Schutzstaffelor Protection Squadrons) gained its independence from the SA (Sturmabteilungen or Storm Detachment),Hitler commanded the chief SS leaderHeinrich Himmler to organize the camps into a system and centralize management and administration. It was founded in June 1933 as an addition to the Breitenau Labor and Welfare House, less than six months after the Nazis by a democratic election in Germany became the majority party in the German parliament. Auschwitz also contained a brothel. From 1933 to 1945, more than 40,000 concentration camps or other types of detainment facilities were established by the Nazi regime. Main telephone: 202.488.0400 Fundamental rights were repealed and the persecution of the political opposition was legalized: From then on, political opponents could be imprisoned without a court ruling under so-called protective custody (Schutzhaft). After being gassed, the bodies were searched for any valuables, including gold teeth which were pulled out of the mouths for use by the Reich. By mid-1942, the majority of those being sent by the Nazis to Auschwitz were Jews. After the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring was passed, Breitenau officials began to test prisoners for hereditary diseases. Nazi concentration and death camps in Eastern Europe. Breitenau, Germany, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany; Breitenau, a part of Bad Gottleuba-Berggiehbel in Saxony, Germany; . It was built in a tithe barn that has been dated to the 15th century when it belonged to the original monastery. 22 Format Book Arbitrary executions, torture and retribution happened daily in front of the other prisoners. Note the woman in the scarf in between the two SS officers, the womanwith the white hat in the front of the pic holding an infant, and the man with no pantsand missing ashoe. It was located in Guxhagen, ca. Soviet forces were the first to approach a major Nazi camp, reaching the Majdanek camp near Lublin, Poland, in July 1944. However, not all those arriving at Auschwitz were immediately exterminated. These included political opponents of the National Socialists from the entire district of Kassel ranging from Social Democrats, communists, trade union members and, already at this stage, persecuted Jews. At its peak of operation, Auschwitz consisted of several divisions. Before the end of the month, in what came to be known as the Auschwitz death marches, an estimated 60,000 detainees, accompanied by Nazi guards, departed the camp and were forced to march to the Polish towns of Gliwice or Wodzislaw, some 30 miles away. During World War II, the Kassel Gestapo used the site as a labor "education" camp. (source: Bing.com), All children below the age of fifteen were killed. Auschwitz originally was conceived as a concentration camp, to be used as a detention center for the many Polish citizens arrested after Germany annexed the country in 1939. Work education camp (Arbeitserziehungslager), Aid network for the survivors of Nazi persecution in Ukraine. It was founded in June 1933 as an addition to the Breitenau Labor and Welfare House, less than six months after the Nazis by a democratic election in Germany became the majority party in the German parliament. Auschwitz/Birkenau employed about 6,500 persons. However, it is highly unlikely that he was an officer. The camp was built by 10,000 Soviet prisoners of war. While Lohagen survived, Pappenheim, being a Jewish member of the Social Democratic Party, was murdered in the Neusustrum concentration camp as early as 1934. TracesOfWar.com tells you more! From 1940 till 1945, 8,500 internees stayed in the camp, of whom 6.500 foreigners and 2.000 Germans. Do you have more information about this location? Breitenau concentration camp (1933-1934) Breslau-Drrgoy concentration . Political enemies were imprisoned here and they learned through intimidation the best way to live in Nazi-Germany. Only three months later, the organization of administration and guard duties, as well as the pattern of ill-treatment of prisoners, had already been implemented. One of the companies that manufactured the Zyklon-B, Tesch and Stabenow of Hamburg (the other was Degesch of Dessau), furnished enough of the poison to exterminate two million persons. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata. A total of 8,304 prisoners were detained there until the camp was dissolved in March 1945. Officially Birkenau was part of the Auschwitz complex. They were reinforced by members of the police. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/concentration-and-death-camps-map-1779690. It was founded in June 1933 as an addition to the Breitenau Labor and Welfare House, less than six months after the Nazis by a democratic election in Germany became the majority party in the German parliament. The one at the left was an SS-Oberscharfuhrer, in the center an SS-Untersturmfuhrer, and at the right with the accordion, his rank is unknown. Sonnenburg concentration camp (German: Konzentrationslager Sonnenburg) was opened on 3 April 1933 in Sonnenburg (now Sosk in Poland) near Kstrin (Kostrzyn nad Odr) in a former Neumark prison, on the initiative of the Free State of Prussia Ministry of the Interior and Justice.[a][2]. The Storm Troopers (SA) and the police established concentration camps to handle the masses of people arrested as alleged political opponents of the regime. They were located two miles apart. When the Soviet army entered Auschwitz on January 27, they found approximately 7,600 sick or emaciated detainees who had been left behind barbed wire. Or are you interested in war medals and their recipients? Countless prisoners died during this process; those who made it to the sites were sent on trains to concentration camps in Germany. Privacy statement, cookies, disclaimer and copyright, On a journey of discovery to historical sites? Mengele, who came to be known as the Angel of Death, performed a range of experiments on detainees. Obz koncentracyjny i wizienie w Sonnenburgu (Sosku), 1939-1945, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonnenburg_concentration_camp&oldid=1156682138, Buildings and structures in Lubusz Voivodeship, Articles with dead external links from May 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles with Polish-language sources (pl), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 24 May 2023, at 02:42. This SS elite unit was led by Karl-Otto Koch, who would later become commander of the concentration camps of Esterwegen, Buchenwald and Majdanek. The crematories were blown up by the German authorities shortly before the camp was evacuated in January 1945. Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center. Breitenau Concentration Camp Memorial Timing: 01:00 pm - 05:00 pm. Surprised by the rapid Soviet advance, the Germans attempted to demolish the camp in an effort to hide the evidence of mass murder. Located there are also the remains of an SS war memorial, which prisoners of the Breitenau concentration camp had to erect in 1933. Birkenau, the biggest of the Auschwitz facilities, could hold some 90,000 prisoners. Below: Pics of Rudolf Hoess, commandant of Auschwitz/Birkenau (Source: Bing.com). This labor force was provided by the German army. In January 1945, with the Soviet army approaching, Nazi officials ordered the camp abandoned and sent an estimated 60,000 prisoners on a forced march to other locations. Did you know? A newly arrived transport, ca. Between 1933 and 1934, the population increased to 125. An estimated 2.7 million Jews were killed in these five killing centers as part of the Final Solution. Do you want to create your own battlefield tour to sights of wars from the past? Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Sovfoto/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Auschwitz: The Largest of the Death Camps, https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/auschwitz. By 1939, seven large concentration camps had been established. Breitenau concentration camp was one of the first concentration camps established by the Nazis. https://www.thoughtco.com/concentration-and-death-camps-map-1779690 (accessed July 17, 2023). Coordinates: 511211N 92832E / 51.20306N 9.47556E / 51.20306; 9.47556. The other camps (Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka) were established in the General Government (an administrative unit of occupied Poland). In this map of concentration and death camps, you can see how far the Nazi Reich expanded over Eastern Europe and get an idea of how many lives were affected by their presence. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/concentration-and-death-camps-map-1779690. Located in southern Poland, Auschwitz initially served as a detention . Auschwitz, the largest and arguably the most notorious of all the Nazi death camps, opened in the spring of 1940. Ruins of a crematory. Arbeit Macht Frei Sign at Entrance of Auschwitz I, Jews Killed During the Holocaust by Country, 11 Facts About Dr. Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz "Angel of Death", Dachau: The First Nazi Concentration Camp, Biography of Anne Frank, Writer of Powerful Wartime Diary, B.A., History, University of California at Davis. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. [3] Soviet soldiers entered the camp on 2nd February to find the bodies still lying in the courtyard (see picture above right). The SS men were members of the "Sondersturm Renthof", a special storm unit in Kassel. Oranienburg Concentration Camp was established in Oranienburg, Germany (actually Prussia). One of these early concentration camps was set up in Guxhagen in Hessia, in an old monastery dating back to the 12th century. This expanded to include Jews and other people seen as inferior by the Nazi regime. [1][3], In 1133, Benedictines founded a monastery at Breitenau. Breitenau as an education and welfare camp, Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring, Articles with German-language external links, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Deportations of French Jews to death camps, Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Website, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933-1945, vol. Breitenau Concentration Camp stock photos are available in a variety of sizes and formats to fit your needs. The Weimar Gestapo, which had jurisdiction over the state of Thuringia, also sent its female prisoners to Breitenau. It was used primarily for political prisoners and was the longest running camp in operation, until its liberation in April 1945. At the right is the train. In this new formed concentration camp, 470 political prisoners were detained between June 1933 till March 1934. Some Auschwitz prisoners were subjected to inhumane medical experimentation. For one thing, it was situated near the center of all German-occupied countries on the European continent. The mayor of Munich at the time described the camp as a place to detain political opponents of the Nazi policy. Among themareAuschwitz in Poland, Westerbork in the Netherlands, Mauthausen in Austria, andJanowska inUkraine. Authority over the Breitenau concentration camp was gradually ceded to the SS. Below: Soviet soldiers at Birkenau, 1945. Unlike concentration camps, which had existed in Germany since 1933 and were detention centers for Jews, political prisoners and other perceived enemies of the Nazi state, death camps existed for the sole purpose of killing Jews and other undesirables, in what became known as the Holocaust. The women are SS auxiliaries. Below: Blueprint for the Prisoner of War Camp Auschwitz (source: Bing.com), Below: Layout of Birkenau affixed on a map. Category Category: Place name . It became a "labour house", where prisoners literally learned how to work. But the jobs that they had at Breitenau were often brutal and back-breaking. The methods developed at Dachau over the next year would be transmitted to every other forced labor camp built by the Third Reich. However, the bathhouses to which they marched were disguised gas chambers. Breitenau concentration camp (1933-1934) Breslau-Drrgoy concentration camp in Wrocaw, Poland; Esterwegen concentration camp . Shortly after seizing power, the National Socialists began detaining their political opponents throughout the entire German Reich. Since the beginning of the Second World War in 1939 the concentration camp or punishment camp (Straflager) continued as a concentration and labour camp for alleged anti-German people from the occupied territories until 1945. For example, in an effort to study eye color, he injected serum into the eyeballs of dozens of children, causing them excruciating pain. Germany officially declared war and began taking over territories outside its own in September of 1939. Shortly after seizing power, the National Socialists began detaining their political opponents throughout the entire German Reich. 1. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The letters DR affixed to the train cars stand for Deutsche Reichsbahn (German Railroad). In January 1945, as the Soviet army entered Krakow, the Germans ordered that Auschwitz be abandoned. The camp was liberated in 1945. Breitenau concentration camp was one of the first concentration camps established by the Nazis. Breitenau concentration camp was one of the first concentration camps established by the Nazis. 15km south of Kassel and was built around the Breitenau monastery. In 1933, an early concentration camp for political prisoners was added to the Breitenau correctional facility. During the early years of their rule, and long before the start of the war, the Nazi regime mainly imprisoned Communists and Social Democrats in Sonnenburg. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Remember that Hitler took power in January of 1933 (and in America, Roosevelt in March of 1933). A Map of Concentration and Death Camps in WWII. Between 1933 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its allies established more than 44,000 camps and other incarceration sites (including ghettos). Below: Auschwitz/Birkenau staff enjoying a moment of fun and relaxation, ca. The Nazi German Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940--1945), Birkenau, Owicim Written by Michael Berenbaum (2023, April 5). All rights reserved. Breitenau concentration camp Breslau-Drrgoy concentration camp Esterwegen concentration camp Kemna concentration camp Lichtenburg concentration camp Missler concentration camp [ de] Nohra concentration camp Oranienburg concentration camp Osthofen concentration camp Sachsenburg concentration camp Sonnenburg concentration camp Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse converted the monastery to an estate in 1527. Dachau, the first concentration camp, was established near Munich in March 1933, two months after Hitler's appointment as chancellor of Germany.The mayor of Munich at the time described the camp as a place to detain political opponents of the Nazi policy. The SS engaged in systematic looting. At first, these concentration camps were meant to hold political prisoners; but by the beginning of World War II, these concentration camps had transformed and expanded to house vast numbers of non-political prisoners whom the Nazis exploited through forced labor. At the end of August the SS took over, as they did in many camps, with 150 men from the 27th SS Regiment (SS-Standarte 27) from Frankfurt/Oder. [1][2] It closed in March 1934 and reopened in 1940 where it remained in operation until the end of World War II. [1][3]. [1][3], In 1984, a memorial was established in memory of those who were detained, enslaved, and murdered at the Breitenau concentration camp. [a][2] . Expansion at the Outbreak of World War II. It was founded in June 1933 as an addition to the Breitenau Labor and Welfare House, less than six months after the Nazis by a democratic election in Germany became the majority party in the German parliament. Auschwitz, also known as Auschwitz-Birkenau, opened in 1940 and was the largest of the Nazi concentration and death camps. Washington, DC 20024-2126 Birkenau) (source: Bing.com) It operated during World War Two. Located in southern Poland, Auschwitz initially served as a detention center for political prisoners. In the scholarly discipline of history, the camp is therefore considered one of the so-called early concentration camps, whose administration and surveillance is characterized by a certain juxtaposition of players that were often in competition with one another. They were established on the local level throughout Germany. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Breitenau concentration camp was one of the first concentration camps established by the Nazis. These detainees included anti-Nazi activists, politicians, resistance members and luminaries from the cultural and scientific communities. Birkenau became the main venue for the extermination of the Jews, in accordance with the Nazi plan for the so-called Final Solution of the so-called Jewish Question. According to Rudolf Hoess, the commandant of Auschwitz/Birkenau from May 1940 to December 1943 and again from June to August 1944, two and half million persons were executed and exterminated at Auschwitz/Birkenau. (In some locations, the Jews were robbed of their gold teeth before they were killed. In May 1940, the Gestapo Kassel officially set up the Breitenau work education camp. 33 Mordsturm Maikowski, which were responsible for guarding prisoners. Social media. They and the rest of the transport were considered enemies of the Reich for whom there would be no mercy. The main watch tower is visible in the background. After the war gold teeth and jewelry continued to be found by local residents looting the camp in search of valuables. In the past, many scholars counted the Majdanek camp (located just outside the city of Lublin) as a sixth killing center. For another, it was in close proximity to the string of rail lines used to transport detainees to the network of Nazi camps. Under interrogation, Moll estimated that his crematory burned 40,000 to 50,000 bodies and possibly more. USforces liberated the Buchenwald, Dora-Mittelbau, Flossenbrg, Dachau, and Mauthausen camps. 1944. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. For current visiting hours, please visit the website of the museum. Location: Hesse, Germany, Central Europe, Europe; Address: 12 Brckenstrae, Guxhagen, 34302; Approximately 300 buildings, mostly barracks, were constructed at Birkenau. However, based on newer research, Lublin-Majdanek is usually classified as a concentration camp. Location: Sosk, Poland: Persecution: Imprisonment, forced labor: Sonnenburg concentration camp (German: Konzentrationslager Sonnenburg) was opened on 3 April 1933 in Sonnenburg (now Sosk in Poland) . Both of the camps were located on the premises of the former Breitenau monastery. Occasionally, especially after Belzec ceased operating in late 1942, Jews were sent to Majdanek as part of Operation Reinhard to undergo selection. Birkenau was built to ease the overcrowding at the Auschwitz camp. Birkenau was a German concentration camp located approximately 60 miles southwest of Cracow, Poland in the town of Osweicim (in German Auschwitz). In the nine months of its existence, about 470 men passed through the Breitenau early concentration camp. The men in striped clothing are inmates, most likely Jewish, who were assigned to greet the newcomers. Those deemed fit to work were employed as slave labor in the production of munitions, synthetic rubber and other products considered essential to Germanys efforts in World War II. Amongst its inmates were the resistance fighters, Jean-Baptiste Lebas and Bjrn Egge. Auschwitz II, located in the village of Birkenau, or Brzezinka, was constructed in 1941 on the order of Heinrich Himmler (1900-45), commander of the Schutzstaffel (or Select Guard/Protection Squad, more commonly known as the SS), which operated all Nazi concentration camps and death camps. Looking for reliable information or news facts about WW2? ThoughtCo, Apr. How were millions of people so vulnerable to fascism? Since 1974, it has been home to an open psychiatric hospital. All were apprehended and killed. Breitnau This page was last edited on 6 April 2018, at 07:40 (UTC). By the following spring only a few hundred of the original 10,000 prisonerssent to buildthe camp were still alive. Below: map of Poland showing the location of Auschwitz (a.k.a. Looking for reliable information or news facts about WW2? Sonnenburg concentration camp was officially closed on 23 April 1934, although in practice it remained open. It was ordered built by Heinrich Himmler, Reichfuhrer of Germany and chief of the SS. "Work education camps" were Gestapo camps which the historian Gabriele Lofti describes as "the concentration camps of the Gestapo" and "sites of terror".In contrast to the SS concentration camps, from which releases were .

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