Memorial
Military ObjectEttersburg
Buchenwald concentration camp
Buchenwald Concentration Camp was one of the largest camps on German soil, operating as a labor camp on the Ettersberg near Weimar between 1937 and 1945. It stands as a grim monument to the atrocities of Nazism and the Soviet occupation period.
History+
The construction of Buchenwald Concentration Camp began in July 1937, carried out by prisoners from other camps. The naming was a deliberate choice to avoid association with the nearby Ettersburg Castle and Weimar Classicism. Initially intended for political opponents, criminals, and minorities, people from across Europe were increasingly imprisoned there from the beginning of the war. Approximately 250,000 people were held captive here in total, with an estimated 56,000 dying. Shortly before liberation in April 1945, prisoners took control as the SS fled. After the withdrawal of US troops, the Soviet occupation forces used parts of the site as Special Camp No. 2 until 1950, where another 7,000 people died. In 1958, the Buchenwald National Memorial was opened, which has been documenting the camp's history with numerous exhibitions since 1991.
Location+
The Buchenwald Concentration Camp memorial is located on the Ettersberg in the municipality of Ettersburg in the Weimarer Land district, Thuringia, Germany, at an elevation of approximately 426 meters above sea level.
On site+
Today, the site serves as a monument and memorial. Visitors will find diverse exhibitions documenting the history of Buchenwald Concentration Camp and commemorating the victims.
Nearby+
- Ettersburg Castle (Castle), approx. 2.1 km away
- Ollendorf Castle (Castle), approx. 4.5 km away
- Schwerstedt Castle (Castle), approx. 6.3 km away
- Bertuchhaus (Residence), approx. 7.0 km away
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buchenwald--KZ-Tor.jpg
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 51.0225, 11.2485