"When I came to power, I did not want the concentration camps to become old age pensioners homes, but instruments of terror." - Adolf Hitler
The Camps
The camps were integral to the extermination of the Jews. There were concentration camps, forced labor camps, and death camps. The living conditions of all camps were brutal.
The 6 major death camps were made in Poland. They were Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Belzec, Sobibor, Lubin, and Chelmno. The primary purpose of these camps was to kill millions of innocent people.
1933-
Dachau was opened in March. It only interned only political enemies, Communists, Social Democrats, and others that had been condemned in a court of law. Progressively, a more diverse group was imprisoned.
1941-
In the beginning of the systematic mass murder of Jews the Nazis used mobile killing squads called Einsatzgruppen. By the time they were ordered to a halt to the shooting in 1942 they had murdered about 1,500,000 people.
In September Nazis began using gassing vans. They were trucks loaded with groups of people who were locked in and were choked to death by carbon minoxide. These vans were used until the completion of Chelmo.
Chelmno was the first major death camp. It began operating in late 1941.
1942-
In January 1942, SS official Reinhard Heydrich held a meeting of Nazi Government officials to present the Final Solution. This was the given name for the annihilation of Jews (later known as the Holocaust).
The Nazis agreed to the SS plans to transport all 11 million Jews to the death camps and murder them systematically.
Starting in early 1942 the Jewish genocide went into full operation. Auschwitz and Birkenau, Treblinka, Belzec, and Sobibor began operations. There were no selection processes. People were sent to be murdered when they arrived.
The Nazis were responsible for the deaths of about 5.8 million Jews, which was roughly half of Europe's entire Jewish population. About 5 million other victims were killed.
1943-
By the end of 1943 the Germans closed the death camps built specifically for the purpose of extermination.
In 1943 there was a major revolt against the Nazis in the Sobibor death camp. About 300 people escaped the camp, killing about 11 Nazis and many other guards. Only about 50 of people who escaped survived the entire war.
1944-
The final death camp, Auschwitz, was closed.
The prisoners of all these camps were sent on walks to other camps in central Germany. Thousands died in what became known as death marches.
The 6 major death camps were made in Poland. They were Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Belzec, Sobibor, Lubin, and Chelmno. The primary purpose of these camps was to kill millions of innocent people.
1933-
Dachau was opened in March. It only interned only political enemies, Communists, Social Democrats, and others that had been condemned in a court of law. Progressively, a more diverse group was imprisoned.
1941-
In the beginning of the systematic mass murder of Jews the Nazis used mobile killing squads called Einsatzgruppen. By the time they were ordered to a halt to the shooting in 1942 they had murdered about 1,500,000 people.
In September Nazis began using gassing vans. They were trucks loaded with groups of people who were locked in and were choked to death by carbon minoxide. These vans were used until the completion of Chelmo.
Chelmno was the first major death camp. It began operating in late 1941.
1942-
In January 1942, SS official Reinhard Heydrich held a meeting of Nazi Government officials to present the Final Solution. This was the given name for the annihilation of Jews (later known as the Holocaust).
The Nazis agreed to the SS plans to transport all 11 million Jews to the death camps and murder them systematically.
Starting in early 1942 the Jewish genocide went into full operation. Auschwitz and Birkenau, Treblinka, Belzec, and Sobibor began operations. There were no selection processes. People were sent to be murdered when they arrived.
The Nazis were responsible for the deaths of about 5.8 million Jews, which was roughly half of Europe's entire Jewish population. About 5 million other victims were killed.
1943-
By the end of 1943 the Germans closed the death camps built specifically for the purpose of extermination.
In 1943 there was a major revolt against the Nazis in the Sobibor death camp. About 300 people escaped the camp, killing about 11 Nazis and many other guards. Only about 50 of people who escaped survived the entire war.
1944-
The final death camp, Auschwitz, was closed.
The prisoners of all these camps were sent on walks to other camps in central Germany. Thousands died in what became known as death marches.