*** World War II concentration camps -- Dachau








NAZI Concentration Camps: Dachau (1933-45)

 Dachau
Figure 1.--Dachau in Bavaria was the first NAZI concentration camp. A few weeks after Hitler seized power (January 1933), Himmler opened Dachau (March 1933). It became essentially the blue print for the many NAZI camps to follow and functioned throughout the NAZI era. It was designed to punish opponents anbd to strike fear into those thinking about opposing the NAZIs. Here are three Dachau survivors shortly after American troops liberated the Camp (April 1945).

Dachau was the first KZ established by the NAZIs and served as a model for the vast network of KZs that the NAZIs were to establish first in Germany and later in the occupied countries. The fire in the German "Reichstag" on February 27, 1933 was the perfect pretext for the NAZIs to strike at their political opponents. Some even believe that the NAZIs were responsible for setting the fire. Hermann Göring immediately acussed the Communists of setting the fire. Göring as Prussian Secretary of the Interior (Police) ordered the SA and SS to arrest first Communists and then Social Democrats (Socialists) and union members. SS leader Heinrich Himmler sought political opponents in other German Landen. Soon German prisons were filled to over flowing with 'protective detainees', as the NAZIs called their prisoners. State Commissary of the Interior, Adolf Wagner adviced his colleague Hans Frank of further options such as concentration camps (March 13, 1933). Himmler announced the establishment of a 'concentration camp' (March 20). Dachau was not opened secretly. Himmler made the announcement at a press conference indicating that it would have a capacity of 5,000 prisoners. The site chosen was a former ammunition factory near Dachau. Two days after Himmler announced the opening of the camp, the first group of prisoners were Communists and Social Democrats arrived (March 22). At first the guards were Bavarian State Police. When Himmler was made Political Police Commander of Bavaria (April 1, 1933), he immediately moved to take control of Dachau. SS guards replaced the police (April 11). Himmler appointed Theodor Eicke as commandant. Eicke set about creating detailed regulations for Dacau's operation. They covered the most minute details of camp life. Himmler obviusly impresed with Eicke's work at Dacau, subsequently appointed him Inspector General for NAZI concentration camps, the regulations he drew up for Dacau were widely followed at other NAZI camps, although there were a variety of local variations. One reason why Dachau was not a secret is that Hitler and Himmler not only wanted to deal with individuals, but they wanted to ensure that the many Germans who had not voted for the NAZIs or even opposed them would comply with the New Order. And unlike many camps, large numbers of Dachau inmates were eventually released. Many people were killed or allowed to die at Dacau as a result of abuse and mistreatment. Dachau was, however, operated as labor camp and the SS exploited their work. Inmates who were unable to work were sytematically killed. Dachau was not, however, a death camp. The industrial killing as done elsewhere at the purpose built death camps. Over 0.2 million people were officially registered s Dachau internees. This may not include those who arrived in the chsotic last months of the War. Some 80-90 percent were eventually released. Dachau did have a role in the early phase of the Holocaust. Many Jews were interned there and forced to turn over their property. Terrible medical experiments were carried out at Dachau during the War. In the final months of the War as the SS began closing camps to the East, large numbers of inmates including many Jews were brought to Dachau and conditions steadily deteriorated. SS policy was to prevent camp inmates from falling into Allied hands. As the Americans approached Dachau, the SS began marching prisoners out (April 26). They did not have tome, howevr, to empty it. The American 7th Army liberated Dachu (April 29). NAZI records indicated that nearly 32,000 people died at Dachau. We re not sure how accurate the records are. Theu do not include over 4,000 inmates were so dehhibilated by encarceration that they were removed and killed elewhere. Over 4,000 sick inmates were killed by poison gas at Hartheim Castle near Linz.

Limits of German Law

Hitler could not create a dictatorial police state within the bojunds of German law and established prison system. He needed to go beyond the law and use extra-legal means. Dacau would be the beginning of this terrible process. Dachau was the first KZ established by the NAZIs and served as a model for the vast network of KZs that the NAZIs were to establish first in Germany and later in the occupied countries.

Enabling Act

The fire in the German "Reichstag" on February 27, 1933 was the perfect pretext for the NAZIs to strike at their political opponents. Some even believe that the NAZIs were responsible for setting the fire. Hermann Göring immediately acussed the Communists of setting the fire. Göring as Prussian Secretary of the Interior (Police) ordered the SA and SS to arrest first Communists and then Social Democrats (Socialists) and union members. SS leader Heinrich Himmler sought political opponents in other German Landen. Soon German prisons were filled to over flowing with 'protective detainees', as the NAZIs called their prisoners.

Establishment

State Commissary of the Interior, Adolf Wagner adviced his colleague Hans Frank of further options such as concentration camps (March 13, 1933). Himmler announced the establishment of a 'concentration camp' (March 20). Dachau was not opened secretly. Himmler made the announcement at a press conference indicating that it would have a capacity of 5,000 prisoners. The site chosen was a former ammunition factory near Dachau.

First Prisoners

Two days after Himmler announced the opening of the camp, the first group of prisoners were Communists and Social Democrats arrived (March 22).

Guards

At first the guards were Bavarian State Police. When Himmler was made Political Police Commander of Bavaria (April 1, 1933), he immediately moved to take control of Dachau. SS guards replaced the police (April 11).

Theodor Eicke

Himmler appointed the brutal Hilmar Wäckerle to be the first commandant at Dachau. He then appointed the even more important Theodor Eicke as the second commandant. Eicke set about creating detailed regulations for Dacau's operation. They covered the most minute details of camp life. Himmler obviously impresed with Eicke's work at Dacau, subsequently appointed him Inspector General for NAZI concentration camps, the regulations he drew up for Dacau were widely followed at other NAZI camps, although there were a variety of local variations as individual commandants had considerable leeway.

Importance

Dachau was important because it was the template for the NAZI concentratioin camp dsystem. One reason why Dachau was not a secret is that Hitler and Himmler not only wanted to deal with individuals, but they wanted to ensure that the many Germans who had not voted for the NAZIs or even opposed them would comply with the New Order. And unlike many camps, large numbers of Dachau inmates were eventually released.

Labor Camp

Dachau was not a death camp, although many died there. The horrors unleased by the NAZIs would begin here. Many people were killed or allowed to die at Dacau as a result of abuse and mistreatment and starvaton diets. Dachau was, however, operated as labor camp and the SS exploited their work. Inmates who were unable to work were sytematically killed. The industrial killing as done elsewhere at the purpose built death camps. Dachau prisoners were used from the beginning as forced laborers. Initially, the inmates were employed in the operation of the camp, in a tange of construction projects, and in small handicraft industries opened in the camp. Prisoners ere vommonly employed in road constructions, gravel pits, and land reclamatioin, especially draining marshes. This begn to change with the onset of the War (1939). The forced labor of concentration camp prisoners became more imprtant in the NAZI war economy. The conscrioption of workers created labor shortages. At first battlefiekd losses were maageable, bu as losses escalated with the invasion of the Soviet Uniin, laborvshortagrs became more severe. The mere mention of this would infuruate Hitler. Germanyn occupid much of Europe so he coukd notbsee hos there cou be a labor shortage. Notably the labor shortage did not lead the Germans to improve conditions to reduce the death rate. The attitude seems to have been that ghere was an unlimitedv supply of new forced labiorers and at any rate, altering Europe's ethnic landscape was a najor NAZI war goal. A rare exception was a slight improvenment in the apauling conditions for Soviet POWs. War production became an in creasing issue as the Allies closed in on the NAZIs and the Allied bombing intensified. The NAZIs were desperate to increase arms production (summer 1944). The Dachau authorities established satellite camps near factories producing war matrtrial insouthern Germany. Dachau opened 140 subcamps, mostly in southern Bavaria, The Dachau inmates worked in armaments works. Thre thousands of prisoners were worked to death.

Internees

Over 0.2 million people were officially registered s Dachau internees. This may not include those who arrived in the chsotic last months of the War. Some 80-90 percent were eventually released. NAZI records indicated that nearly 32,000 people died at Dachau. We are not sure how accurate the records are. Theu do not include over 4,000 inmates who were so dehhibilated by encarceration that they were removed and killed elewhere. Over 4,000 sick inmates were killed by poison gas at Hartheim Castle near Linz.

Heros

A brave procecuor and a brave doctor stood up to the NAZIs. They attempted to stop the flagerent violation of German law and the murder of camp inmates by procecuting the guards. The first four Jews killed by the NAZI regime were murdered st Dchau. Josef Hartinger in the state (Bavarian) procecutor's office tried to have the murders arrested and tried. Dr. Moritz Flamm's testimony showed that the murderers were lieing in the preoared death certficatesd. He submitted detailed evidence after examining the corpses. Artinger's efforts failed as he found no support within the Bavarian Government and the pace of killing in Dachau only escalated. [Ryback]

Holocaust

Dachau did have a role in the early phase of the Holocaust. Many Jews were interned there and forced to turn over their property. In the final months of the War as the SS began closing camps to the East, large numbers of inmates including many Jews were brought to Dachau and conditions steadily deteriorated.

Medical Experiments

Terrible medical experiments were carried out at Dachau during the War. German doctors and scientists began medical experiments on prisoners as live subjects. Many of the experiments were carried out to aid the Luftwaffe. Medical doctors and and scientists from the Luftwaffe and the German Experimental Institute for Aviation conducted high-altitude and hypothermia experiments. They also worked on efforts to make seawater potable. The purpose was efforts to develop methods for aiding air crews conducted high altitude bombing raids or who were shot down and having to survive in icy waters. The timing was strange. By 1942, the Luftwaffe was beginning to de-emphasis bombing and was non longer committing many aircraft to missions crossing icy waters. The Luftwaffe was increasingly focusing on air defense missions shooting down Allied bombers. This was also affecting their initial mission of ground support. Other German scientists used mostly Jewish prisoners to test the efficacy of pharmaceuticals being developed to use for treating diseases, especially malaria and tuberculosis. There were no shortage of doctors and scientists more than willing to access human subjects to advance their research. Hundreds of prisoners died or were incurred debilitating side affects because of these experiments. Those that did not die outright were rarely able to survive in the severe camp conditions.

Final Months

Most of the death camps were located in German occupied Poland. As the NAZIs efficently killed millions of Jews the needed for the induistrial killing factories declined. The Germans erre nom lonhr able to find large concebntrayiins of Jews to feed into them. The last major Jewsish population murdered in larg numbers were theHungarian Jews (summer 1944). In addition the Red Army advanced into eastrern and central Poland. the loss of the dath camps manthat the Grmans no longerb had thev facilities to dispose of large numbers of corpses. Camps like Dachau could cremate small numbers of bodies, not themass numbers of prisoners that began flooding into the camp. Himmler issued orders to moove surviving immates in the thousands of camops located throughout occupied Europe back into the Reich. Himmler and his associates did not want the survivers to fall into Allied hands. They had too mamy stories to tell. Transports from the evacuated camps in the East began arrived continuously at Dachau. The inmate oopulatiin grew enormously. And the already poor codituins go worse and wors. Some arrived by train, but there were also death marches. These marches were conducted with little or no food or water and in all ather conditiins. The prisoners arrived in Dachau and other Reich camps weak and exhausted, many near death. Typhus outbreaks became a serious because of the severe overcrowding, trribke sanitary conditions, lack of food, and the apauling conditions of the prisoners.

Liberation (April 1945)

Allied forces crossed the Rhine in force (March 22, 1945). The British headed into northern Germany, the Americans fanned out into central and southern Germany. As American units approached Dachau, the Germans decided to evacuate the camp (April 26).. At the time there were 67,665 registered prisoners in Dachau and its sub-camps. The actual numbers was probably higher given the the numbers pouring into the camp. More than half were in the main camp. The total included 43,350 political prisoners and 22,100 Jews. The remainder included other categories like homosexuals and Jehova's Witnesses. The German just before the Americans arrived forced some 25,000 surviving prisoners in the camp on forced marches or rail transports. They did not have time to empty the camp. And many inmates were too weak to move. The guards shot anyone who could not keep up on the death marches. Others perished of starvation, dehydration, hypothermia, or exhaustion. The American 7th Army entered Dachau a few days before the NAZI surrender (April 29). They found more than 30 rail cars near the camp. There were a few some survivors in the rail cars, but most were filled with bodies in an advanced state of decomposition. The NAZIs, however, were running out of places to keep away from the Americans. Moving east meant running into the Soviets--something SS men feared the most. The Soviets were further south were moving into Austria from the East and the Americans from the South and West. Finally the Americans continuing south in Bavaria liberated the prisoners who had survived the death marches (early May). As terrible as Dachau was, the GIs liberating the camp as well as the press did not yet know of the even greater horror of the death camps.

Sources

Ryback, Timothy W. Hitler's First Victims: The Quest for Justice (2014), 288p.






CIH: Holocaust






Navigate the CIH World War II Section:
[Return to Main individual concentration alphabetical A-L camp page]
[Return to Main individual concentration camp page]
[Return to Main concentration camp page]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Biographies] [Campaigns] [Children] [Countries] [Deciding factors] [Diplomacy] [Geo-political crisis] [Economics] [Home front] [Intelligence]
[Resistance] [Race] [Refugees] [Technology]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Return to Main war essay page]





Created: 4:13 AM 8/13/2012
Last updated: 1:22 AM 7/29/2024