Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp
In 1940, the Wehrmacht established a POW camp at the edge of the Bergen Military Training Area. From July 1941, tens of thousands of Soviet POWs were taken to the camp. By February 1942, at least 18,000 of them had died of starvation, exposure and disease. In April 1943, the Wehrmacht handed over part of the camp to the SS, who turned it into a camp for Jews who were to be exchanged for German prisoners held by the Allies. From 1944, however, the SS sent a growing number of other prisoners to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp as well. The POW camp was dissolved at the start of 1945, and in the spring of the same year numerous “evacuation transports” arrived at Bergen-Belsen from other concentration camps. The Bergen-Belsen concentration camp was liberated by the British army on 15 April 1945.
Period
April 1943 to 15 April 1945
Kind of work
Internal work details
Slave labour on behalf of
SS
