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Bergen-Belsen (Germania : campo di concentramento)   Cerca

Definizione

The Bergen-Belsen concentration camp was located near the towns of Bergen and Belsen in Lower Saxony, Germany. Bergen-Belsen was initially established as a prisoner-of-war camp in 1940. In 1941 it was renamed Stalag 311 and received an influx of Soviet POWs, thousands of whom died there. By April 1943 the camp was once again called Bergen-Belsen and parts were under SS authority. A number of internal divisions were organized: a prison camp, a camp for Hungarians, large and small camps for women, a special camp (which held Jews from Poland who possessed papers from foreign countries), a "star" camp (which held mostly Dutch Jews to be exchanged for German nationals held by the Allies), a neutral camp (which held Jews from several neutral countries), a hospital camp, and a tent camp (added to absorb overflow as camp population swelled in the wake of prisoners arriving from camps in the East). Bergen-Belsen held 15,000 inmates in late 1944 and nearly 60,000 inmates in April 1945. At one time Bergen-Belsen held some 75,000 prisoners of numerous nationalities. A large number of Jewish prisoners were transferred to Bergen-Belsen in late 1944 and early 1945 from other German concentration camps. It is estimated that nearly 35,000 prisoners died in Bergen-Belsen between January and April 15, 1945, including Margot and Anne Frank. The Bergen-Belsen commandants were Haupsturmführer Adolf Haas and Haupsturmführer Josef Kramer. The Bergen-Belsen camp was liberated on April 15,1945, by British military forces. There were approximately 60,000 survivors at the date of liberation. In order to halt the spread of disease, the liberators burned the camp and a displaced persons camp was set up nearby. Nonetheless, following liberation over 10, 000 former Bergen-Belsen prisoners died from the ravages of disease and hunger. (en-US)

Fonte

Lattek, Christine. "Bergen-Belsen: from 'Privileged' Camp to Death Camp." In Belsen in History and Memory. Edited by Jo Reilly et. al. London & Portland, Or.: Frank Cass, 1997. pg. 37, 41, 44-45.

Termini più generici

• Prussia (Germania : State)