An estimated 170,000 to 360,000 persons of 22 nationalities chiefly jews, russians, and poles died there. It was opened in november 1944 and was the first museum devoted to the commemoration of. On november 3, 1943, the biggest execution in the history of german concentration camps took place in majdanek camp. Author, among many other things, of an article on prisoners holding work posts in the majdanek concentration camp and future exhibitions held at the museum coauthor.
The majdanek concentration and death camp, located approximately three miles five kilometers from the center of the polish city of lublin, operated from october 1941 to july 1944 and was the second largest nazi concentration camp during the holocaust. The guide taught us many things about the nazis and the jewish, and they were really shocking. Majdanek, the concentration camp in lublin by marszalek, josef and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Majdanek concentration camp during the second world war 19391945. The majdanek concentration camp is situated in a major urban area, four kilometers from the city center of lublin, and can be easily reached by trolley car. The name majdanek, derived from the name of this suburb, was a nickname given to the camp, soon after it opened in 1941, by local residents who.
The state museum at majdanek was established at the site of the former german concentration camp which functioned on the outskirts of lublin between october 1941 and july 1944. Majdanek a suburb of lublin, poland, where in the autumn of 1941 the. In october 1941 it received its first prisoners, mainly soviet prisoners of war, virtually all of whom died of hunger and exposure. The furnace to the right was used to create carbon monoxide for gassing prisoners. In the centre of the camp ten fields were planned, surrounded by electric barbed wire and watchtowers. It is an institution directly subordinated to the ministry of culture and national heritage. Although initially purposed for forced labor rather than extermination, the camp was used to kill people on an industrial scale during operation reinhard, the german plan to. There are also a number of books on jewish culture and literature. The german concentration camp in lublin, called majdanek, was initiated by heinrich himmlers decision. Majdanek concentration camp liberated july 24, 1944.
Majdanek should become the largest concentration camp outside the german reich. Encyclopedia of jewish and israeli history, politics and culture, with biographies, statistics, articles and documents on topics from antisemitism to zionism. In late july 1944, as soviet forces approached lublin, the remaining camp staff hastily abandoned majdanek, without fully dismantling the camp. Concentration camp lublinmajdanek in july 1941 the nationalsocialist occupation administration decided to set up a large concentration camp near the city of lublin. Between 80,000 and 110,000 people died or were killed at majdanek. Majdanek concentration camp kl lublin, commonly referred to as majdanek, was in operation from october 1941 to july 1944. It had seven gas chambers, two wooden gallows, and some 227 structures in all, placing it among the largest of nazirun concentration camps. Due to the decision of the government to close all museums and cultural institutions in poland we inform that the online bookstore is closed until further notice. Majdanek was a nazi german concentration and extermination camp established on the outskirts of the city of lublin during the german occupation of poland in world war ii.
Majdanek concentration camp lublin by marszalek josef. He was employed in the research department and in 2001 he joined the education department. Kl lublin construction, staff and extermination facilities. Amazingly, little scientific investigation has been directed toward the concentration camp lublinmajdanek in central poland, even though orthodox holocaust sources have. The state museum at majdanek was founded in november 1944 on the grounds of the former german concentration camp. The revisionist book concentration camp majdanek, a historical and technical study stated that if the desire for extermination was undoubtedly predominant in majdanek at least until autumn 1943, it would have been preposterous to build a hospital. On either side of the gate, there were sentry boxes, painted with black and. Majdanek concentration camp in the second world war 1939. Polish civilians inspecting the crematoria ovens of the majdanek killing center. The ss evacuated most of the prisoners to concentration camps further west during the spring of 1944. The function of the concentration camps in the third reich, p.
Majdanek concentration camp personnel wikipedia heinrich schmidt physician dr. Majdanek with its surface of 270 hectares approx 3 million sq ft was the largest concentration camp in europe after auschwitz and had a relatively short existence between october 1941 and july 1944. In 1997, after a visit of the majdanek museums director, edward balawejder, to ushmm, the registry initiated correspondence about purchasing a complete xerox copy of this original. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please add a name to this list. Majdanek concentration camp doctors in prison uniforms. Lublin kl reception, prisoners daily life, sub camps. Concentration camp majdaneka historical and technical study reprint of 3rd, corrected and expanded edition. It would have been preposterous to reassign inmate doctors from sachsenhausen, buchenwald. Soviet troops first arrived at majdanek during the night of july 2223 and captured lublin on july 24. Bookstore online bookstore closed until further notice. A man stands in front of a display case displaying a civil suit jacket of an unknown prisoner of the majdanek concentration camp 1930s wool at the new special exhibition shoes of the dead dresden and the holocaust at the military history. The visit to the concentration camp in majdanek was absolutely unforgettable. Although initially purposed for forced labor rather than.
In quick succession command over the camp went to the following ssers. A view of the barracks from a watch tower in majdanek. There was no security zone established around the majdanek camp, as at birkenau, and there is no natural protection, such as a river or a forest, as at treblinka. The camp name comes from majdan tatarski, an old suburb of lublin, which formerly had a large jewish population, and was made into a jewish ghetto by the nazis before the concentration camp was opened. I had never been to a concentration camp before, and i think thats the best place ive ever been to with my school. Visiting lublin in july 1941, himmler entrusted lublin district ss and police commander, odilo globocnik, with building a camp for 2550,000 inmates who would be used to work in ss and police workshops and at construction sites. The book was found partially destroyed, some pages are difficult to read david einsiedlers translation of 10192 letter. The gas chambers at majdanek were completed in october 1942 and continued operations until spring 1944, when the camp was evacuated. The majdanek concentration camp in the polish city of lubin was in operation from october 1, 1941 to july 23, 1944 when it was liberated by soldiers of the soviet union.
Liberation of lublinmajdanek united states holocaust. The forgotten concentration camp left off the holocaust. Majdanek concentration camp history of a nazi death camp. The shop specialises in the history of dachau concentration camp and those persecuted by the nazi regime, but books on related topics are also available. Until the late 1990s, little new research had been directed toward the concentration camp lublin majdanek in central poland, even though up to two million jews are claimed to have been murdered there by the germans during world war ii. Inert zyklon b, spent gypsum pellets, from majdanek. In majdanek people were not merely concentrated, they were exterminated. Calling it a concentration camp misrepresents the history of the place. Organizer and participants of many international educational projects. Himmler also outlined a programme of economic and political tasks to be.
The camp was located only 3 km south of the lublin centre. One such event took place on 3 november 1943, codenamed with typical nazi cynicism the harvest festival, or aktion erntefest. Majdanek, poland dark tourism the guide to dark travel. The germans established and operated a concentration camp there in world war ii. Soviet troops captured lublin and liberated majdanek on july 24, 1944.
The old photograph above shows the original main entrance into the concentration camp at majdanek. The first judicial trial of majdanek extermination camp officials took place from november 27, 1944, to december 2, 1944, in lublin, poland. Photograph of a view of the street between the barracks at the majdanek death camp. Price new from used from unknown binding please retry. It was conducted within the operation erntefest harvest festival and it finished extermination of the jews in the lublin district. Majdanek concentration camp article about majdanek. Majdanek, or kl lublin, was a german concentration and extermination camp built and operated by the ss on the outskirts of the city of lublin during the german occupation of poland in world war ii. This is not up to us wikipedians to decide, we have to go with what reputable. All orders made before march 16 will be realized after the closure of the museum is over. The location of the majdanek camp is in an area of rolling terrain and can be seen from all sides. Majdanek poland majdanek was established october 1941 as ssrun pow camp and as concentration camp february 16, 1943.
As of october of that year the camp developed in the southeastern outskirts of the city. In addition to organizing exhibitions, the museum also runs educational and academic activities. Following a visit to occupied lublin by heinrich himmler, the camp in the lublin suburb of majdanek was set up, from late 1941, initially as a pow camp, officially at least. At the polish concentration and death camp majdanek and the trawniki and poniatowa labour camps, this day began with a mass rollcall, as usual. Concentration and extermination camp author language type of publication search. The lublin region in national socialist polish policy, p. Most prisoners were brought to majdanek in freight trains in tightly closed, crowded cattle cars deprived of any sanitary facilities, without food and water. Holocaust survivors and victims database majdanek death. Crows on fenceposts with majdanek concentration camp at rear lublin poland. In that period, approximately 150,000 prisoners passed through its grounds, citizens of many countries and representatives of various ethnic and social groups. Today the camp site is part of the city, at the road to zamosc. Majdanek, also spelled maidanek, also called lublinmajdanek, nazi german concentration and extermination camp on the southeastern outskirts of the city of lublin, poland.
Holocaust concentration camps, jewish history, books. But before long it took on the character of a fullblown concentration camp, in which the principles of deprivation, random violence and, ultimately, extermination through labour vernichtung durch. On july 23 1944, soviet army troops discovered the huge nazi concentration camp of majdanek just outside the polish city of lublin, virtually intact. Majdanek concentration camp photos of guard towers and. According to the most recent calculations approximately 150. The majdanek concentration camp is located in an entirely open area with no tenfoot wall around it to hide the activities inside the camp, as at dachau. Majdanek concentration camp poland delta state university. Majdanek could boast more commanders in its short lifetime than any other camp.
140 552 854 822 671 120 931 1465 1182 949 865 678 599 917 602 683 1584 1311 1241 1429 820 776 695 159 175 444 808 17 399 335 1400 371 24 173 1312 299 43 409 1050 346