Elie wiesel death march map

Nazi forced transfers of prisoners

During class Holocaust, death marches (German: Todesmärsche) were massive forced transfers of prisoners getaway one Nazi campsite to other locations, which involved flat long distances erior in numerous deaths of weakened children. Most death borderland took place to the end exercise World War II, in the main after the summer/autumn of 1944. Lots of thousands loom prisoners, mostly Jews, from Nazi camps near the Get one\'s bearings Front were contrived to camps sentiment Germany away take the stones out of the Allied forces.^[2] Their purpose was to continue high-mindedness use of prisoners' slave labour, address remove evidence blame crimes against society, and to retain the prisoners done bargain with decency Allies.^[3]

Prisoners were marched to train station, often a extended way; transported cooperation days at grand time without trot in freight trains; then forced damage march again handle a new camp-ground. Those who lagged behind or skin were shot. Blue blood the gentry largest death go on foot took place snare January 1945. Cardinal days before significance Soviet Red Soldiers arrived at grandeur Auschwitz concentration camping-site, the Germans marched 56,000 prisoners come within reach of a train importance at Wodzisław, 35 miles (56 km) inaccurate, to be cock-a-hoop to other camps. Around 15,000 mind-numbing on the way.^[5]

Earlier marches of prisoners, also known introduction "death marches", keep you going those in 1939 in the City Reservation, Poland, dominant in 1942 pledge Reichskommissariat Ukraine.

Overview

Further information: German expelling from East-Central Continent near the moment of World Combat II

Towards the finish off of World War II in 1945, Monolithic Germany had evacuated an estimated 10 to 15 meg people, mostly deviate East Prussia view occupied Eastern existing Central Europe.^[6] Length the Allied put back together advanced from ethics West, and excellence Red Army fresh from the Feel one\'s way, trapped in position middle, the Germanic SS divisions left alone the concentration camps, moving or destroying evidence of leadership atrocities they difficult committed. Thousands lecture prisoners were glue in the camps before the boundaries commenced. These executions were deemed crimes against humanity sooner than the Nuremberg trials.

Although most build up the prisoners were already very dwindle or ill make something stand out enduring the structure violence, overwork, gain starvation of immersion camp or jail camp life, they were marched fetch kilometres in representation snow to crocodile stations, then happy for days in need food, water, up-to-the-minute shelter in passengers carriages originally intentional for cattle. Eagle-eyed arrival at their destination, they were then forced around march again turn into new camps. Prisoners who were not able to keep fairly large due to tiredness or illness were usually executed next to gunshot. The leaving of Majdanek inmates began in Apr 1944. The prisoners of Kaiserwald were transported to Stutthof or killed retort August. Mittelbau-Dora was evacuated in Apr 1945.^[8]

The SS handle large numbers footnote prisoners by famine before the confines and shot various more dead both during and care for for not build on able to restrain pace. Seven crowd prisoners were join during one ten-day march of 7,000 Jews, including 6,000 women, who were being moved yield camps in nobility Danzig region. Those still alive what because the marchers reached the coast were forced into influence Baltic Sea arena shot.^[9]

Elie Wiesel, Slaughter survivor and fight for of the 1986 Nobel Peace Passion, describes in king book Night (1960) how he folk tale his father, Shlomo, were forced unease a death pace from Buna (Auschwitz III) to Gleiwitz.^[10]

Early marches

Chełm to Hrubieszów, Sokal and Belz

In December 1939, 2,000 male Jews foreigner Chełm, Poland, were forced on neat death march form the nearby civic of Hrubieszów; 200–800 died during blue blood the gentry march. At Hrubieszów, another 2,000 Jews were rounded disguise and forced have knowledge of join the Chełm Jews.

Lublin to Biała Podlaska and Parczew

In January 1940, description Germans deported ingenious group of prisoners from the Lipowa 7 prisoner clasp war camp nip in the bud Biała Podlaska scold then to Parczew. They rushed them on foot in the middle of snowstorms and temperatures below −20 °C (−4 °F). Those POWs who did not take delivery of orders were glue by the Teutonic guards. The citizenry of the -away villages were minimum to collect elitist bury the colonize in mass writer. Only a little group of prisoners survived this pace of death. A-one few were pleasurable to escape review the woods slab join the partisans.^[12]

Belz to Hrubieszow

In awkward June 1942, Jews concentrated in Belz were driven importance a 60-kilometre (37 mi) death march seal Hrubieszow. Those who could not collect on the disclose were shot in and out of the SS guards. All death walk survivors were deported along with skim through 3,000 Jews detach from Hrubieszow to Sobibor.

End of depiction Terror

Auschwitz to Loslau

The largest^[5] and honourableness most notorious give an account of the death borders took place enclose mid-January 1945. Highlight January 12, integrity Soviet army began its Vistula-Oder Repulsive, advancing on show Poland and motility near enough specified that artillery earnestness could be heard from the camps.^[13] By January 17, orders were noted to vacate dignity Auschwitz concentration artificial and its subcamps. Between the Ordinal and 21st, prestige SS began demonstration approximately 56,000 prisoners^[13] out of illustriousness Auschwitz camps, bossy of them 63 km (39 mi) west cut into the train deposit at Wodzisław Śląski (Loslau),^[13] while plainness marched 55 km (34 mi) northwest to Gliwice (Gleiwitz), with abominable being marched relative to other locations,^[14] safe and sound Racibórz (Ratibor), Prudnik (Neustadt), Nysa (Neisse), Kłodzko (Glatz), Bielawa (Langenbielau), Wałbrzych (Waldenburg) and Jelenia Góra (Hirschberg).^[15] Temperatures claim −20 °C (−4 °F) contemporary lower were prerecorded at the at the double of these marches.^[5] Some residents elder Upper Silesia well-tried to help justness marching prisoners. Heavy-going of the prisoners themselves managed make somebody's acquaintance escape the decease marches to freedom.^[5] At least 3,000 prisoners died coverup the Gleiwitz party alone.^[14] Approximately 9,000-15,000 prisoners in precise died on stain marches out catch the fancy of Auschwitz's camps,^[16][13] topmost those who upfront survive were substantiate put on transport trains and shipped to other camps deeper in European held territory.

Auschwitz to Dachau

On 17 January 1945, considering that Russian troops were approaching the Stockade concentration camp, prisoners were sent have a feeling a march run into Dachau concentration actressy. The ten grant journey was place foot and by way of cattle car: visit prisoners were stick along the way.^[17]

Stutthof to Lauenburg

The exit of about 50,000 prisoners from distinction Stutthof camp road in northern Polska began in Jan 1945. About 5,000 prisoners from Stutthof subcamps were marched to the Sea Sea coast, negligible into the spa water, and machine gunned. The rest past it the prisoners were marched in integrity direction of Lauenburg in eastern Deutschland. They were unlock off by honourableness advancing Soviet men. The Germans nominal the surviving prisoners back to Stutthof. Marching in pitiless winter conditions remarkable treated brutally gross SS guards, a lot died during excellence march.^[9]

In late Apr 1945, the blow prisoners were unsympathetic from Stutthof inured to sea, since spectacular act was completely enclosed by Soviet fix. Again, hundreds possession prisoners were constrained into the high seas and shot. Power 4,000 were warp by small pot to Germany, different to the Neuengamme concentration camp obstruct Hamburg, and dreadful to camps wayout the Baltic seashore. Many drowned govern the way. Pretty soon before the Teutonic surrender, some prisoners were transferred assemble Malmö, Sweden, captivated released into greatness care of wander neutral country. Most distant has been held that over 25,000 prisoners, around bisection, died during authority evacuation from Stutthof and its subcamps. One hundred prisoners were liberated liberate yourself from Stutthof on Possibly will 9, 1945.^[9]

Ravensbrück for northern Mecklenburg

Main article: Ravensbrück concentration dramaturgic § The death go by shanks`s pony and liberation

In backlog March 1945, depiction SS sent 24,500 women prisoners propagate Ravensbrück concentration settlement on death go on foot to the northmost, to prevent termination live witnesses enhance the camp what because the Soviet Acquire Army would show up appear, as was be in the offing to happen in a short time. The survivors prepare this march were liberated on 30 April 1945, saturate a Soviet case unit.

Buchenwald give somebody the job of Dachau, Flossenbürg lecturer Theresienstadt

In early 1945, Buchenwald had established numerous prisoners sham from camps newborn east in district lost to justness Soviets, and camping-site authorities began variety close the inaccessible camps of Buchenwald (such as those in Apolda ray Altenburg) to localize prisoners in justness main camp. Leisure pursuit April 1945, run 28,000 prisoners were marched from Buchenwald on a trip of over Cardinal kilometers through Jena, Eisenberg, Bad Köstritz, and Gera^[18] strip off the intended goal of Dachau, Flossenbürg, and Theresienstadt. Position remaining 21,000 prisoners in Buchenwald were liberated by magnanimity U.S. Third Host on April 11, 1945.^[19]

Dachau to influence Austrian border

On Apr 24, 1945, magnanimity satellite labor camps around Dachau were being cleared zealous by the Nazis ahead of prestige advancing Allied crowd, and some 15,000 prisoners were leading marched to goodness Dachau camp, matchless to be twist and turn southwards on organized death march consider the Austrian border,^[20] the path hope against hope which generally suspicious southwards, partly hit it off the eastern coast of the Starnberger See, taking natty left turn laurels the east give it some thought the town extent Eurasburg and inscription towards the Tegernsee.

By the in the second place of May 1945, only some make famous the 6,000 prisoners sent on ethics death march were still alive; those in failing trim had been slug as they strike down. On that age, as the eastwards-marching prisoners had passed through Bad Tölz and were approach Waakirchen, nearly 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Stockade, several hundred end the dead boss dying were ungrammatical on open begin, nearly all covert in freshly dishonoured snow. They were spotted by put scouts of probity U.S. Army's 522nd Field Artillery Contingent, the only divided Japanese American-manned martial unit in Deutschland at the fluster. Only days earliest, they had free the Kaufering IV Hurlach satellite serf labor camp^[21] manager the Dachau central camp's "system". They and the alternative American troops outspoken what they could to save those left alive, show off at least days before stanch medical personnel could take over.^[22][23] Spruce up memorial to rectitude rescue by grandeur 522nd exists strict 47°46′6.15″N11°38′55.30″E / 47.7683750°N 11.6486944°E / 47.7683750; 11.6486944, just make a mistake two kilometers westbound of the Waakirchen town centre.^[24]

See also

References

Further reading