(no subject)
Sachsenhausen is located 35 km (21.7 miles) from Berlin in Germany in an areal called Oranienburg . There are 44 sub-camps located thoughout the area that are a part of Sachsenhausen. Some of the total 44 sub-camps include Kolpin, Heinkel, Muggelheim, Doberitz, and many more. It's construction began on July 12, 1938. It was built by a selection of 50 inmates transfered from another camp, Esterwegen. It took only two months to complete the camp, although many died building it due to food shortages.
Sachsenhausen was a forced labor camp. Many prisoners were forced to work hard hours with little food. Many were killed, over 30,000 estimated. Prisoners were hung and shot down daily. There were 140,000 prisoners admitted to Sachsenhausen. It was the main camp of Berlin and the surrounding area. Many died in the camp due to starvation, exhaustion, poor medical care as well as exposure.
Shortly after Kristallnacht, or "Crystal Night", in November of 1938 an additional 1,800 Jews were sent to the labor camp, Sachsenhausen. Sentenced by Heinrich Himmler, the SS cheif, the jews were later killed do to the factors of death that affected many jews in the camp. Only a fraction of the original 30,000 Jews were sent to Sachsenhausen after Kristallnacht, the remaining jews were transfered to one of the surrounding camps. The surrounding camps included Dachau and Buchenwald.
In September of 1939, 5,000 communists, social-democrats and former trade union leaders were sent to Sachsenhausen. An additional 900 Jews were sent to Sachsenhausen along with the previous 5,000. At the end of the month, there were a total of 8,384 people at Sachsenhausen. By November, there were a total of 11,311 prisoners at the camp.
In November 1939, illness at the camp began to spread. At this time, the first outbreak of Typhus was spread. Typhus was transmitted by fleas or lice thoughout Sachsenhausen. Typhus is known for causing high fevers. Many prisoners were killed by the epidemic. There was little hope for the prisoners due to the lack of medical attention and low food supply.
Germanys arrested many Poles. Most of the people arrested were intellectuals to help prevent the uprising in Poland against German control. "On May 3, 1940, for example, 1,200 Polish prisoners arrived in Sachsenhausen from the Pawiak prison in Warsaw. The prisoners included many juveniles, more than 60 Catholic priests, officers of the Polish army, teachers, doctors, and minor government officials"( United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).
The leader of the Eichbert State Mental Hospital and a member the Nazi Euthanasia Program, Friedrich Mennecke over took poor or ill prisoners from Sachsenhausen to come to the Hospital. Over the next three months, under the code 14f13, he gassed many physically and mentally disabled prisoners. All of the jews were gassed by German doctors at the Eichberg Hospital.
By August 1941, the first Soviet prisoners were sentenced to the camp. 18,000 prisoners were sent to the camp. A large fraction of the original prisoners sentenced were shot and killed. 13,000 prisoners from the original group of Soviets in August-November 1941 were killed.
On January 31, 1942, prisoners in forced labor camps were told to build "Station Z". The station was built for the killing of Jewish/German/Polish prisoners. The number of prisoners that were exterminated in Station Z is unknown. The prisoners were either shot or gassed. The gas chambers were not built until sometime after the original construction. Station Z was used until the end of the war.
In August 1, though October 2 1944, a 63 day attempt to overthrow German Nazi control in Poland occured. "Undertaken by the Home Army (Armia Krajowa, AK), the Polish resistance group, at the time Allied troops were breaking through the Normandy defenses and the Red Army was standing at the line of the Vistula River"(Project InPosterum). Many troops and civilians were killed in the effort. After August 1944, Germans sent 3,500 poles to Sachsenhausen. 65,000 Poles were originally caputured.
On April 20, 1945, due to the Soviet Army advance in the war and over crouding of prisoners in death camps, prisoners were forced to go on a Death March. The 33,000 prisoners, divided into 400 groups were forced by the SS to walk to ships where they would be boarded. After boarded onto the ships, the ships were to be sank, killing the Jewish passengers. Many died early on in the march and never made it to the ships.
Sachsenhausen was liberated by the Soviet army, unit 47 on April 22,1945. Only 3,000 survived in the camp, 1,400 of them were women. The camp was used as evidence of the abuse and other war crimes carried out there. Sixteen camp guards were tried for crimes at the camp in October of 1947."The tribunal sentenced 14 of the defendants to life in prison (the Soviet Union abolished capital punishment in May 1947). Two of the defendants received 15-year prison terms"(United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). However, The Soviet secret police turned it Sachsenhausen into a prison camp which continued for another 5 years. During the next 5 years, the prison withheld over 12,000 prisoners until 1950.
Today, Sachsenhausen is currently a museum for World War II. Visitors near the Berlin area are able to come and visit the camp. Information is offered thoughout the museum on the history of the camp.
Work Cited
Sachsenhausen- Oranienburg (Germany). 2007. Jewish Virtual Library. March 20, 2007. <
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/Sach.html>
Travil Guides: Berlin. March 23, 2007. The Newyork Times. March 20, 2007.
Warsaw Uprisinng 1944. 2006. Project In Posterum. March 19, 2007.
.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. March 9, 2007. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. March 18, 2007.http://www.ushmm.org/
JewishGen-eral Information. December 20, 2006. JewishGen Inc. March 23, 2007.
Sachsenhausen was a forced labor camp. Many prisoners were forced to work hard hours with little food. Many were killed, over 30,000 estimated. Prisoners were hung and shot down daily. There were 140,000 prisoners admitted to Sachsenhausen. It was the main camp of Berlin and the surrounding area. Many died in the camp due to starvation, exhaustion, poor medical care as well as exposure.
Shortly after Kristallnacht, or "Crystal Night", in November of 1938 an additional 1,800 Jews were sent to the labor camp, Sachsenhausen. Sentenced by Heinrich Himmler, the SS cheif, the jews were later killed do to the factors of death that affected many jews in the camp. Only a fraction of the original 30,000 Jews were sent to Sachsenhausen after Kristallnacht, the remaining jews were transfered to one of the surrounding camps. The surrounding camps included Dachau and Buchenwald.
In September of 1939, 5,000 communists, social-democrats and former trade union leaders were sent to Sachsenhausen. An additional 900 Jews were sent to Sachsenhausen along with the previous 5,000. At the end of the month, there were a total of 8,384 people at Sachsenhausen. By November, there were a total of 11,311 prisoners at the camp.
In November 1939, illness at the camp began to spread. At this time, the first outbreak of Typhus was spread. Typhus was transmitted by fleas or lice thoughout Sachsenhausen. Typhus is known for causing high fevers. Many prisoners were killed by the epidemic. There was little hope for the prisoners due to the lack of medical attention and low food supply.
Germanys arrested many Poles. Most of the people arrested were intellectuals to help prevent the uprising in Poland against German control. "On May 3, 1940, for example, 1,200 Polish prisoners arrived in Sachsenhausen from the Pawiak prison in Warsaw. The prisoners included many juveniles, more than 60 Catholic priests, officers of the Polish army, teachers, doctors, and minor government officials"( United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).
The leader of the Eichbert State Mental Hospital and a member the Nazi Euthanasia Program, Friedrich Mennecke over took poor or ill prisoners from Sachsenhausen to come to the Hospital. Over the next three months, under the code 14f13, he gassed many physically and mentally disabled prisoners. All of the jews were gassed by German doctors at the Eichberg Hospital.
By August 1941, the first Soviet prisoners were sentenced to the camp. 18,000 prisoners were sent to the camp. A large fraction of the original prisoners sentenced were shot and killed. 13,000 prisoners from the original group of Soviets in August-November 1941 were killed.
On January 31, 1942, prisoners in forced labor camps were told to build "Station Z". The station was built for the killing of Jewish/German/Polish prisoners. The number of prisoners that were exterminated in Station Z is unknown. The prisoners were either shot or gassed. The gas chambers were not built until sometime after the original construction. Station Z was used until the end of the war.
In August 1, though October 2 1944, a 63 day attempt to overthrow German Nazi control in Poland occured. "Undertaken by the Home Army (Armia Krajowa, AK), the Polish resistance group, at the time Allied troops were breaking through the Normandy defenses and the Red Army was standing at the line of the Vistula River"(Project InPosterum). Many troops and civilians were killed in the effort. After August 1944, Germans sent 3,500 poles to Sachsenhausen. 65,000 Poles were originally caputured.
On April 20, 1945, due to the Soviet Army advance in the war and over crouding of prisoners in death camps, prisoners were forced to go on a Death March. The 33,000 prisoners, divided into 400 groups were forced by the SS to walk to ships where they would be boarded. After boarded onto the ships, the ships were to be sank, killing the Jewish passengers. Many died early on in the march and never made it to the ships.
Sachsenhausen was liberated by the Soviet army, unit 47 on April 22,1945. Only 3,000 survived in the camp, 1,400 of them were women. The camp was used as evidence of the abuse and other war crimes carried out there. Sixteen camp guards were tried for crimes at the camp in October of 1947."The tribunal sentenced 14 of the defendants to life in prison (the Soviet Union abolished capital punishment in May 1947). Two of the defendants received 15-year prison terms"(United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). However, The Soviet secret police turned it Sachsenhausen into a prison camp which continued for another 5 years. During the next 5 years, the prison withheld over 12,000 prisoners until 1950.
Today, Sachsenhausen is currently a museum for World War II. Visitors near the Berlin area are able to come and visit the camp. Information is offered thoughout the museum on the history of the camp.
Work Cited
Sachsenhausen- Oranienburg (Germany). 2007. Jewish Virtual Library. March 20, 2007. <
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/Sach.html>
Travil Guides: Berlin. March 23, 2007. The Newyork Times. March 20, 2007.
Warsaw Uprisinng 1944. 2006. Project In Posterum. March 19, 2007.
.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. March 9, 2007. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. March 18, 2007.http://www.ushmm.org/
JewishGen-eral Information. December 20, 2006. JewishGen Inc. March 23, 2007.