Who were the guards in concentration camps?
Who were the guards in concentration camps?
Camp guards External camp security was under the authority of an SS unit known as the “Guard Battalion”, or Wachbattalion. These guards manned watchtowers and patrolled the perimeter fences of the camp. During an emergency, such as a prisoner uprising, the Guard Battalion could be deployed within the camp.
What happened to the Kapos in Auschwitz?
During the Stutthof trials in Gdańsk, Poland, which took place in 1946 and 1947 for the prosecution of the Stutthof concentration camp personnel, five kapos were sentenced to death, with extreme brutality cited. Four of them were executed on 4 July 1946, and one on 10 October 1947.
What is a German commandant?
The commandant (German: KZ-Kommandant, Lagerkommandant) was the chief commanding position within the SS service of a Nazi concentration camp. He held the highest rank and was the most important member of the camp unit.
Who were the Totenkopf?
SS-Panzerdivision “Totenkopf”) was one of 38 divisions of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. Its name, Totenkopf, is German for “death’s head” – the skull and crossbones symbol – and it is thus sometimes referred to as the Death’s Head Division.
How did Kapos treat prisoners?
Even though they were not paid, the kapos got special treatment. They did not have to do hard labor, and they were not physically abused like the other prisoners. They sometimes got extra food, cigarettes, alcohol, regular clothes, and private rooms.
Who invented Auschwitz?
Rudolf Höss
The first gassings—of Soviet and Polish prisoners—took place in block 11 of Auschwitz I around August 1941….Auschwitz concentration camp.
| Auschwitz | |
|---|---|
| Founding commandant | Rudolf Höss |
| Original use | Army barracks |
| Operational | May 1940 – January 1945 |
| Inmates | Mainly Jews, Poles, Romani, Soviet prisoners of war |
Who was the leader at Buchenwald?
Karl-Otto Koch
Buchenwald concentration camp
| Buchenwald | |
|---|---|
| Location | Weimar, Germany |
| Operated by | Schutzstaffel |
| Commandant | Karl-Otto Koch (1 August 1937 – July 1941) Hermann Pister (1942–1945) |
| Operational | 15 July 1937 – 11 April 1945 |
What happened to the local population after the Polish occupation?
Most of the administration outside strictly local level was replaced by German officials. Non-German population on the occupied lands were subject to forced resettlement, Germanization, economic exploitation, and slow but progressive extermination.