REVIEW INDEX Camp Overview Camp Facilities (Today) Camp Timeline My Visit and views
CAMP OVERVIEW Bergen Belsen is in lower saxony, near to the town of Celle, and about 60 Km from Hannover (Nearest Airport)
During the second world war, Bergen Belsen was a concentration camp for Jew\'s, Political Prisoners, and Religeous people of differing beliefs to the Nazi Party (Jehovahs Witnesses)
Overall, Bergen-Belsen claimed the lives of about 50.000 prisoners of the concentration camp, and 20.000 prisoners of war.
CAMP FACILITIES (TODAY) The site has basic ablutions and is accesable to those with disabilites. A Main visitor centre stands at the camp gates which houses an exhibition centre, WC\'s, Cinema (For documentary\'s), and a small shop selling books and videos.
Inside the camp is situated the hall of prayer, a memorial hall if you will.
The camp has undulating ground, which in winter is slightly hard to traverse
for those of a less stable ability.
CAMP TIMELINE 1940 The German \"Wehrmacht\" establishes a prisoner of war camp for 600 French and Belgian soldiers.
May 1941 The camp is named "Stalag 311 (XI C)\".
from July 1941 Arrival of an estimated 20.000 Soviet prisoners of war who are kept in the open and under extremely cramped conditions. Until spring 1942 approximately 18.000 captives die of hunger, cold and disease.
April 1943 A section of the camp is handed over to the SS: establishment of a \'detention camp\' (Aufenthaltslagers) Bergen-Belsen for Jews who are intended for exchange for Germans held in internment abroad. The remaining POW Camp is used by the Wehrmacht, primarily as a military hospital.
from March 1944 Establishment of a separate section of the camp for sick prisoners from other concentration camps.
from August 1944 Arrival of female prisoners especially from the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau; some of whom are sent on to concentration camp external commandos.
January 1945 Dissolution of the prisoner of war camp and annexation of the wooden huts by the administration of the concentration camp.
from January 1945 Evacuation of tens of thousands of prisoners from concentration camps close to the front line to the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. Extreme overcrowding of the camp. Beginning of mass dying.
Beginning of April 1945 Transfer of several thousand Jewish exchange prisoners towards Theresienstadt.
April 15th, 1945 Liberation of the camp by British troops.
April/May 1945 Evacuation of the survivors to nearby barracks of the former German army, the Wehrmacht. To curb the risk of disease, the huts of the camp are burnt down.
1945 -1950 Displaced Persons camp Bergen-Belsen in the barracks of the former Wehrmacht training camp.
April 1946 Unveiling of the Jewish memorial within the grounds of the former concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.
June 1946 Erection of the Soviet memorial at the cemetery for prisoners of war at Bergen-Belsen (Hörsten).
from 1947 Erection of the obelisk and the inscription wall by orders of the British military government.
1952 Responsibility for the Bergen-Belsen Memorial is handed over to the Land Lower Saxony.
1966 Opening of a document centre (Dokumentenhaus) illustrating the history of the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.
1968 Rearrangement of the Soviet prisoner of war cemetery; erection of a German memorial stone.
1988 Laying out of a foot path between the Memorial grounds and the prisoner of war cemetery.
April 1990 Opening of an extended and reorganized document centre and the new permanent exhibition.
since 1991 The uncovering of some remains of buildings in the camp by youth workcamps.
April 2000 Opening of the House of Silence
August 2000 Opening of new seminar rooms.
MY VISIT(S)
I first went to Bergen Belsen in 2001, then 2003, 2005, and finally in 2006, this visit review is based on all visits.
As you drive though the Beautiful German forrests temptation is upon you to stop a while and take in with awe the nature all around you. Eventually you come across the peaceful and sleepy town of Bergen, and this has some great restaurants and cafe\'s.
A few Kilometeres up the road the view changes, and you come across a small quiet car park just to the side.
Parking up, and stepping out of the car, the idillic feelings soon evaporate as you sense all is not right, in front of you is a visitor centre and a perimiter wall. You feel ill, as you know what has occured on the other side.
The visitor centre is manned by locally employed civvilians, and has heart rendering displays from the camp, the visitor can watch a documentary in several languages in the attached cinema.
On entering the camp a small 3d model of the site is fixed on a plynth, and then the camp sign made from stone, simply saying \"Bergen Belsen\" with its years of operation.
To the left is the prayer hall, and a path leading to the main memorial.
As you walk along the path you pass raised mounds, each typically holding the final resting places of between 800 to 4000 corpses. Headstones are dotted here and there, placed by surviving friends and family.
Here you will find the headstone for Anne Frank, and most of her immediate family (Famous from her diary from Amsterdam, Holland, a Jewish Girl who hid with her family for several years)
Continuing on the path you come to the main memorial, which was placed some years ago, placed on it are memorials.
The buildings of the camp were demolished to prevent infection at the end of the war, however, the foundations can still be seen for many, as is the crematorium.
The camp has an eerie silence around it, and it isnt uncommon to be taken aback and overwhelmed by the pure tradgedy that befell those incarserated here.
All in all, if you were in the area or have some connection with the camp, it is the right and proper thing to visit this place, however, as an educational trip, there isnt too much to see from this camp, and it is really a Denkmal (Memorial).
Other camps have been placed as a memorial of a higher educational values, such as Auswitz.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I'd imagine this would be a painful visit for anyone.
poshtroika 15.11.2007 11:12
Very good review. My father-in-law was one of the first British Troops to arrive. He never talked about it until the last year before he died (Oct 2006). Many tears were shed as he unloaded his experience, I think he needed to pass it on , so it is always remembered. Regards Steve.
salem_witch 15.11.2007 06:58
Sounds like a chilling experience. I've always wanted to visit somewhere like here (without coming across as sick!)
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
very helpful by (100%):
