The Flossenbürg concentration camp existed between 1938 and 1945 in north-east Bavaria, situated in the Oberpfalz forest close to Flossenbürg. Since 1947, a park-like landscape reminds of the former concentration camp. Since 1982, there is an exhibition building at the memorial.
In 1937, the SS-Verwaltungsamt (administration office) examined several quarries looking for a site to establish a concentration camp in which prisoners would be deployed in extracting building materials. The SS settled on the granite quarry near Flossenbürg as the location for the concentration camp. On May 3, 1938, the first 100 prisoners from Dachau arrived, primarily »criminals« and »asocials«, in order to construct the necessary infrastructure and to extend the camp. The SS-owned company »Deutsche Erd- und Steinwerke GmbH« (»German Earth and Stone Works«) took over the camp's administration. The number of prisoners quickly rose, by the end of the year there were around 1,500. Around half of them were forced to work in the quarry. The rest of them had to extend the camp - they built prisoners' barracks, housing for the SS and buildings for the production of construction materials. In April 1940, the number of prisoners rose to about 2,200 when first transports of Poles and Czechs from other camps reached Flossenbürg. In 1941, the SS began executing Polish prisoners and Soviet prisoners of war. The camp's first satellite camps were established in 1942. From 1943 on, the prisoners also had to perform forced labour in the arms industry in assembling Messerschmitt fighter planes. Further satellite camps were established and by 1945 the Flossenbürg concentration camp had over 100 satellite camps and working commandos. Due to the advancing front and the evacuation of camps in the east in 1944, the number of prisoners rapidly increased: in March 1945, the SS held captive around 15,000 people in the main camp and around 37,000 in the satellite camps. At the beginning of April 1945, members of the SS executed resistance fighters imprisoned in Flossenbürg. The camp was liquidated April 16 to 20, upon which the SS sent between 16,000 and 20,000 people on death marches southwards. On April 23, 1945, US Army units liberated the Flossenbürg concentration camp.
Between 1938 and 1945, at least 100,000 people were imprisoned in the Flossenbürg concentration camp and its satellite camps. Around 30,000 of them perished under the catastrophic living conditions, from the strenuous forced labour or in killing operations. Around 2,000 Soviet prisoners of war were executed by the SS in Flossenbürg.
Between June 1945 and March 1946, the US Army used the former concentration camp as an internment camp for members of the SS, later the barracks housed »displaced persons« from Poland. The former SS and prisoners' barracks were torn town in 1955. In 1956, a central cemetery of honour was laid out, yet at the same time housing and commercial developments were constructed on large parts of the former camp premises. Since 1982, there has been an exhibition building at the memorial site. Since 2003, the Flossenbürg memorial has been supervised jointly by the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial and the »Foundation Bavarian Memorials«.
- Name
- KZ-Gedenkstätte Flossenbürg
- Address
-
Gedächtnisallee 5-7
92696 Flossenbürg - Phone
- +49 (0)9603 903 90-0
- Fax
- +49 (0)9603 903 90-99
- Web
- http://www.gedenkstaette-flossenbuerg.de
- information@gedenkstaette-flossenbuerg.de
- Open
- Daily: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (December to February 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Possibilities
- Tours, meetings with survivors of the concentration camp, seminars for youth groups, readings