Auschwitz
The notorious death camp, Auschwitz, was built in May of 1940, near Warsaw, Poland, and ran by Rudolf Hoess. When it was first constructed Auschwitz mainly held Polish people, but after a year in operation it began to take in Jews and enemy soldiers. Heinrich Himmler ordered to expansion of Auschwitz in 1941, and converted it into a death camp. The people at Auschwitz were forced to work, either in manual labor or sometimes performing medical treatments. Inmates were also experimented on. The main purpose of Auschwitz though was to exterminate everyone considered inferior to Germans. Large numbers of people were either shot, or sent to gas chambers. By the time the camp was closed in 1943, around three million people had died. Two and a half million were killed, while the other half million died from illnesses and starvation (Simkin).
Dachau
Dachau was the first concentration camp constructed, built in March of 1933. The camp was just ten mile away from Munich, Germany. At first, the camp mainly held political opponents of the Nazi regime. As the war went on, the number of Jews and Roma imprisoned there increased. The prisoners at Dachau were forced to build on and expand the camp, and when that was finished they were used as forced laborers in general production. An assortment of experiments were carried out at Dachau, the most notable being military experiments. These included high-altitude tests, hypothermia tests, and tests to stop extensive bleeding.
Evacuation of concentration began when Allied forces advanced toward Germany. The Germans wanted to prevent large numbers of prisoners from being liberated, so they evacuated the camps, and a large amount of the prisoners were sent to Dachau. On April 26, 1945 American forces neared Dachau, and just three days later the camp was liberated (Simkin).
Evacuation of concentration began when Allied forces advanced toward Germany. The Germans wanted to prevent large numbers of prisoners from being liberated, so they evacuated the camps, and a large amount of the prisoners were sent to Dachau. On April 26, 1945 American forces neared Dachau, and just three days later the camp was liberated (Simkin).
Belsen
The Belsen concentration camp, also known as Bergen-Belsen, was located in north-west Germany. The camp was ran by Josef Kramer, a significant member of the Schutzstaffel (SS). Under Kramer were staff that were members of the SS Death’s Head units. The camp held as much as 70,000 prisoners in 1945, but was only built for 10,000. The camp was liberated on April 15, 1945 by the British 11th Armored Division. The conditions were so bad in the camp, hundreds of people died every day even after the camp was liberated (Simkin).
Citations
Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. N.p., Aug. 2014. Web. 11 May 2016.
<http://spartacus-educational.com/GERbelsen.htm>.
Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." Spartacus Educational. N.p., Aug. 2014. Web. 11 May 2016.
<http://spartacus-educational.com/GERbelsen.htm>.