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Where did the Jews go after the Bergen Belsen camp?
About 200 Jews were allowed to immigrate to Palestine and about 1,500 Hungarian Jews were allowed to immigrate to Switzerland, both took place under the rubric of exchanges for German nationals. Bergen-Belsen mainly served as a holding camp for the Jewish prisoners.
What did the SS do at Bergen Belsen?
Within the “prisoners’ camp” the SS erects the “tent camp” ( Zeltlager ), to which they move sick female prisoners, after the “recuperation camp” becomes overcrowded. The SS permits the first transport of Hungarian Jewish prisoners (around 300) from the “Hungarian camp” to leave for Switzerland in return for cash payment.
Who was the first person to reach Bergen Belsen?
The first two to reach the camp were a British Special Air Service officer, Lieutenant John Randall, and his jeep driver, who were on a reconnaissance mission and discovered the camp by chance. American soldiers attached to the British forces also helped liberate the camp.
What was the small women’s camp in Bergen Belsen?
After a storm destroys the “tent camp,” camp officials establish the “small women’s camp” ( Kleines Frauenlager) within the “prisoners’ camp” and transfers the surviving prisoners of the “tent camp” to the “small women’s camp.” The WVHA officially designates the Bergen-Belsen camp complex a concentration camp.
What was the condition of the prisoners in Bergen Belsen?
Conditions inside Bergen-Belsen were extremely poor. Following liberation, the British troops relocated the surviving prisoners and burnt down the camp in an attempt to stop the spread of disease.
When did the SS take over Bergen Belsen?
In January 1945, the SS took over the POW hospital and increased the size of Bergen-Belsen. As eastern concentration camps were evacuated before the advance of the Red Army, at least 85,000 people were transported in cattle cars or marched to Bergen-Belsen.