Majdnek / Majdanek (Poland)


Figure 1.--.

Majdanek is sometimes referred to as a death camp, but that is not precisely correct. There certainly was killing at the camp, but it was not a camp created for the sole purpose of killing Jews. Scholars disagree as to the exact purpose of the camp. It was a POW/work camp located on the outskirts of Lublin (October 1941). Himmler ordered the camp set up after visiting Lublin (October 1941). This late opening was the result of the NAZI invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) and the conquest of preciously Soviet occupied eastern Poland. The NAZIs at the time had huge numbers of Soviet POWs after launching Operation Barbarossa. The original purpose may have been to serve as a POW camp. The location near Lublin suggests that it was not established as a death camp. These camps were all located in remote locations. The SS commander was Karl Otto Koch. Tghhe camp was built to hold 50,000 people. Plans were developed to significantly expand the camp, but were never carried out--presumably because of the changes in the military situation on the Eastern Front. Majdanek was used for slave laborors used in Lublin munitions works and the Steyr-Daimler-Puch weapons factory. Conditions were so terrible that large numbers of people died from malnutrition, abuse, and exposure. Majdanek does appear to be used as a concentration camps for Jews to be murdered as part of Operation Reinhard, the NAZI plan to kill Jews in operatrion Reinhard. While at Majdanek they were used for slave labor. Jews killed at Majdanek seem to have been primarly those who could no longer work or for various reasons could not be passed on to the major death camps (Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka). Majdanek was equipped with gas chambers for the industrial slaughter of Jews. Majdanek was one of the camps that used Zyklon B for its gas chambers, but carbon-monoxide was also used. Estimates vary as to the numbers of people killed at Majdanek. Current estimates are about 78,000, including 59,000 Jews. We have seen estimates as high as 120,000 people, Majdanek was one of the first NAZI camps liberated. The Red Army reached it (July 24, 1944). Unlike the five death camps, Majdnek was still largey intact when the Soviets liberated it. Operation Bagration unfolded so rapidly that the SS did not have time to desmantle the camp. Only te crematoria was destroyed. The NAZIs suceeded in destroying much of the death camps. I am not sure to what extent the Soviets publicized what they found at Majdnek because the Allies were shocked when they entered NAZI concentration camps about a year later. The Soviet NKVD of course had its own camp system. They used the SS camp for fighters of the Polish underground Armia Krajowa and NSZ which they arrested.

Camp Type

Majdanek is sometimes referred to as a death camp, but that is not precisely correct. There certainly was killing at the camp, but it was not a camp created for the sole purpose of killing Jews. Scholars disagree as to the exact purpose of the camp.

Location

It was a POW/work camp located on the outskirts of Lublin (October 1941). This location was unusual as the NAZIs generally chose out of the way locations, distant from major populsation centers for their camps, especially camps where killing would be a majpr part of the operation.

Founding

Himmler ordered the camp set up after visiting Lublin (October 1941). This late opening was the result of the NAZI invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) and the conquest of preciously Soviet occupied eastern Poland. The original construction was completed by Jewish Polish POWs that had not yet been killed Joseph Reznick, a former inmate at KL Majdanek, testified on June 5, 1961 at the trial of Adolf Eichmann. This testimony is available on line courtesy of the Nizkor Project.

POWs

The NAZIs at the time had huge numbers of Soviet POWs after launching Operation Barbarossa. The original purpose may have been to serve as a POW camp. The location near Lublin suggests that it was not established as a death camp. These camps were all located in remote locations.

Karl Otto Koch

The SS commander was Karl Otto Koch.

Size

The camp was built to hold 50,000 people. Plans were developed to significantly expand the camp, but were never carried out--presumably because of the changes in the military situation on the Eastern Front.

Slave Labor

Majdanek was used for slave laborors used in Lublin munitions works and the Steyr-Daimler-Puch weapons factory. Conditions were so terrible that large numbers of people died from malnutrition, abuse, and exposure. Majdanek does appear to be used as a concentration camps for Jews to be murdered as part of Operation Reinhard, the NAZI plan to kill Jews in Operatrion Reinhard. While at Majdanek they were used for slave labor. Jews killed at Majdanek seem to have been primarly those who could no longer work or for various reasons could not be passed on to the major death camps (Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka) operating at the time.

Killing

Majdanek was equipped with gas chambers for the industrial slaughter of Jews. Majdanek was one of the camps that used Zyklon B for its gas chambers, but carbon-monoxide was also used. Estimates vary as to the numbers of people killed at Majdanek. Current estimates are about 78,000, including 59,000 Jews. We have seen estimates as high as 120,000 people,

Operation Bagration (June-August 1944)

he attention of the Western Allies was on Normany in June 1944. As a result, the greatest defeat of a Germany army in the field is virtually unknown in the West. The massive Wehrmacht victories diring the NAZI Barbarossa invasion of the Soviet Union are some of the best known battles on the Eastern Front. Except the Stalingrad offensive and the concluding Berlin offensive, other Red Army opeations are less-well reported in the West. Stalingrad was not as is often reported the gturning point in the War, rather it was the Red Army offensive before Moscow and ironically the closely related Pearl Harbor attack, both of which occurred within a few days of each other (December 7-10, 1941). While the Red Army Wniter 1941 Offensive is commonly not given the attention it deserves, an even more devestating Soviet offensive is virtually ignored in Western World War II accounts--Opperation Bagration (June-July 1944). Like the Offensive before Moscow and Stalingrad, Bagration wasa master piece of battlefield deception (Maskirovka). It was notable because it was the first major successful Soviet offensive not launched in Winter conditions. It was also the greatest Red army victory of the War. The Red Army suceeded in destroying the most powerful German formation at the time--Army Group Central. Before Bagration, the Wehrmacht had suffered substantial battlefield losses, but was still a very potent military force. After Bagration not only was the Wehrmacht unable to reactt powerfully to the Allied invasion of France, but would be unable to launch amother important offensive in the East. The Soviets succeeded in killing and capturing ???? Wehrmact personnel, destroying enormous quantities of material, and liberating Byelorussia. This opened up the liberation of Poland and the assault on the Reich itself. The enormous success of Bagration was due to three factors: 1) superior Red Army forces, 2) deception, and 3) Allied ground operations in Italy and France and air operations over the Reich which made it impossible for the Wehrmact and Luftwaffe to concentrate its forces.

Liberation

Lublin is a city in wghat is now eastern Poland, at the time of Workd War II it was more central Poland. It was because of its easterly location, one of the first large Polish cities liberated by the Red Army. Majdanek as a result, was one of the first major NAZI camps liberated. The Red Army reached it (July 24, 1944). Unlike the five death camps, Majdnek was still largey intact when the Soviets liberated it. Operation Bagration unfolded so rapidly that the SS did not have time to desmantle the camp. The Soviets had so surrised Wehrmacht Army Group Central and the American-supplied Lend Lease trucks had given the Red Army such mobility that the Germans defense crumbled abd the Germans were surronded or driven back over large streaches of Beylorussia and eastern Polnd. The SS only mznaged to destroy the crematoria. The NAZIs suceeded in destroying much of the death camps. I am not sure to what extent the Soviets publicized what they found at Majdnek because the Allies were shocked when they entered NAZI concentration camps about a year later. Soviet media did report on the liberation of the camp, but the releases did not mention Jews or suggest that the Germans were conducting a Holocaust. I am not sure to what extent this represented a lack of knowledge or a calculated decesion to down play the NAZI killing of Jews. This approach continued after the War. Monuments and memorials avoided mentiining the Jews.

Lublin Warehouses

While most of the Operation Reinhard killing was done at death camps, Majdnik played a role in the SS Aktion. The slave labor at Majdank was used to sort through the belonings of the murdered Jews. The items were being stored pending disposition in a warehouse on Lublin's Chopin Street. For some reason, not all of the items were shipped back to the Reich. We are not sure why. Perhaps some of the itenms were not deeped suitable. Even the NZIs may have had second thoughts about shipping hundreds of thousands of used children's shoes. It was thus here that Red Army troops uncovered some of the NAZI plunder the plunder from mass murder. Among the loot were piles of 0.8 million empty shoes. It was immediately apparent to the soldiers what this meant. Among the paperwork found were requests for items. Included were requests from Hitler Union units for among other things bed linnen and crockery. [Werth, pp. 884-99.] We are not sure about the nature of these HJ requests. They are of course not the kind of things boys would be interested in obtaining. Perhaps the items were for displaced Germans that the HJ youth were assisting. They presumably were from HJ staff, but we do not know at just what level. They suggest an understanding of what was happdening in Poland beyond SS circles. It is not immediately apparent, however, that those making requests were aware of the source of the items. Perhaps readers will have some insights here.

NKVD Usage

The Soviet NKVD of course had its own camp system. They used the SS camp for fighters of the Polish underground Armia Krajowa and NSZ which they arrested whenever they enciountered them.

Sources

Werth, Alexander. Russia at War (London, 1964).







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Created: 2:10 AM 10/25/2009
Last updated: 1:39 PM 8/15/2011