Nazi concentration camps

Nazi Germany built and operated many places called concentration camps between 1933 and 1945. These camps were used to hold people the Nazi government did not like. There were more than a thousand of these camps in Germany and in areas that Germany took over during World War II.

The first camps were set up in March 1933, right after Adolf Hitler became the leader of Germany. At first, most of the people in these camps were members of political groups that opposed the Nazis. Later, many other groups were also sent to the camps, including Jews.

As the war continued, life in the camps became harder, with less food and shelter for the people held there.

Many people suffered greatly in these camps, and a large number did not survive. As the Allies fought back, they freed many of these camps in 1944 and 1945. Today, museums at many of the former camps help us remember the victims and learn from this difficult time in history.

Background

The idea of a concentration camp started long before the Nazis. It began during the Boer War in South Africa, when the British set up camps to hold people. These camps were not as cruel as others that came later.

During the First World War, many soldiers were kept in places that later became Nazi camps. Some of these prisoners faced hard times because they did not get enough food or had to work in tough conditions. In several countries, people from places considered enemies were forced to leave their homes and live in difficult situations. Sadly, many people had very hard times in these situations.

History

Early camps (1933–1934)

Main article: Early camps

In 1933, after Adolf Hitler became leader of Germany, the government created special prisons called concentration camps. These prisons were for people they saw as enemies. The first camps were set up quickly in places like schools and old buildings. Many people were arrested, including members of different political groups. The rules were very strict, but many prisoners were later released.

Institutionalization (1934–1937)

In 1933, a man named Theodor Eicke helped organize these camps better. He made strict rules and created a system where some prisoners were given jobs to watch others. Over time, the government took control of more camps and made them follow the same rules. By 1938, only a few of the original camps remained, and new, bigger camps were built. More people were arrested, and the number of prisoners started to grow again.

Rapid expansion (1937–1939)

By 1938, the number of prisoners grew quickly as more people were arrested for different reasons. New camps were built to hold these prisoners, and some were specifically for women. The government also used prisoners to work in factories and build things, which helped their plans for big projects.

World War II

During World War II, the camps grew even larger and became more dangerous. New camps were opened to hold people from countries Germany invaded. Many prisoners were forced to work in factories to help with the war. The conditions became very harsh, and many people sadly did not survive. Auschwitz became one of the largest camps, holding many people who were sent there because of their background. More camps were set up across different places to use prisoner labor for the war effort.

Organization

Main articles: Concentration Camps Inspectorate and SS-Totenkopfverbände

In the mid-1930s, the camps had a clear organization. They were led by a commandant. There were departments for politics, safety, and health. By 1940, control of the camps changed a few times, but the main leader always reported to a top Nazi named Himmler.

Guards for the camps were members of a special Nazi group called the SS-Totenkopfverbände. They lived near the camps and watched the borders and guarded workers. As the war went on, more people were needed to help guard the camps. This included women, army members, and air force members. Even dogs were used to help keep watch.

Prisoners

Before World War II, most people in these camps were from Germany. Later, as the Nazi forces took over more countries, people from those places were also put in the camps.

In Western Europe, many of those arrested were people who fought against the Nazi rules. In Eastern Europe, large groups of people were rounded up to be forced to work.

By the end of the war, only a small part of the people in these camps were from Germany or Austria. Many soldiers from the Soviet Union and others from different countries were put in these camps.

Most Jewish people who were hurt during this time were not in these camps. However, many Jewish people were put in the camps. Some camps were used to kill people, while others were used for forced labor. Some Jewish people survived the war inside these camps.

Conditions

At first, prisoners in these camps had enough food, but they were still worried about being treated badly. After the war started, things got much worse. There was less food, worse housing, and harder work. Many prisoners got sick or weak because they didn’t have enough food and diseases spread. This made more people die than other reasons. Still, the food was usually enough to keep them alive.

When prisoners from other countries arrived after 1939, how they were treated depended on where they came from. Jewish prisoners, people from Slavic countries, and Spanish Republicans were treated especially harshly, which led to many deaths early in the war. German prisoners were often treated better. A few prisoners who worked for the guards had better conditions, but they could be removed if they did not follow the rules.

Forced labor

Main article: Forced labor in Nazi concentration camps

Many people in the camps were forced to work very hard. At first, they did jobs like farming or building more camps. Later, as the war went on, they were made to work in factories to make weapons. Companies could hire people from the camps for very little pay and long hours. This led to many smaller work camps near factories. Sadly, many people died from the hard work and tough conditions.

Public perception

When Germans were arrested in 1933, they sometimes faced shame or harm. If they were released, they might show signs of injury or sadness. The Nazi government used announcements and secret actions to make people feel afraid. This helped them remove opponents and stop resistance. Early reports in newspapers said the camps were places to change people’s behavior. Later, there were fewer reports, but more people were arrested.

As the war went on, more people saw the camps because they grew bigger and were built closer to towns. Many Germans worked near these camps, helping with land, medical care, or supervision. Some were upset by what they saw, but many supported the camps, thinking the prisoners were troublemakers or unwanted. The harsh conditions in the camps were sometimes mentioned in enemy propaganda during the war.

Statistics

There were 27 main camps and over 1,100 smaller camps. These smaller camps changed over time. The camps were mostly in Germany and areas taken over by Germany during the war.

Many people were held in these camps, and many did not survive their time there.

Death marches and liberation

Major evacuations from the camps happened in 1944 from the Baltics and eastern Poland, and in early 1945 from western Poland and Silesia, and again in March 1945 from camps in Germany. Many prisoners, both Jewish and non-Jewish, died during these forced walks because of the harsh conditions.

Even though the Nazi leaders were losing control near the end of the war, these marches were planned to keep prisoners under Nazi control. Local German leaders wanted to move the prisoners away because they had little food and supplies. When the marches stopped, some guards and local people chose to harm the prisoners rather than let them go free.

When the camps were finally freed, the terrible conditions were shared widely in newspapers around the world. Many freed prisoners were very weak from their time in the camps.

Legacy

After they were freed, the Nazi concentration camps became a symbol of fear. Many people in Germany after the war said they knew nothing about the camps. Some survivors got help for what they went through. A few people who were responsible for the camps were punished after the war.

Stories about life in the camps were shared often. Many survivors spoke about their experiences or wrote books about them. One well-known book is If This is a Man by Primo Levi. Researchers have studied these camps for many years. Two big books about the camps have been written: Der Ort des Terrors ("The Place of Terror") and Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945.

Some experts think that the cruelty of the Nazi camps inspired other cruel actions by different governments.

Nazi concentration camps