Buchenwald
Abi Dawson
Doors of Buchenwald
250,000 Passed Through
Gates of Buchenwald
Gates bear inscription “To Each his Due!”
Satellite Camps
Over 130 Satellite and Extension Camps.
Forced Labor Camp
Designed to Kill Prisoners by Forced Labor
Identification
Each of the Buchenwald prisoners had a number. It was not uncommon for numbers to be mixed up and one punished for another’s offense.
Roll Call
In 1943, dogs trained to kill men in these striped suits were brought into the camp and released outside its borders.
Roll Call
Four roll calls took place each day.
If a prisoner was missing, the rest would stand until he was found.
Arrivals from Kristallnacht
Roll Call for prisoners arrested during “Night of Broken Glass”
Crematoria
The minimum death quota was 80 per day.
This was often exceeded.
Barracks
First barracks were built by prisoners themselves.
Elie Wiesel at Buchenwald
Elie is in the second row of bunks, seventh from the left.
Administration
Karl Otto Koch, the Commandant
He was easily bribed, and had a watch fob made from prisoners’ gold teeth bearing the birth dates of his children.
Ilse Koch Ilse Koch
committed many war crimes. One of her interests was using tattooed skin to make lamp shades and book covers.
Ilse Koch
She was known for riding her horse through the camps and whipping prisoners.
Children at Buchenwald
The children sometimes hid among the prisoners’ belongings.
Children at Buchenwald
If they were caught, the punishment was to be laid among those already in the ditches.
Evacuation
Graves of Prisoners who died during Death Marches
Liberation
These starving children were liberated by American soldiers on April 11, 1945
Liberation
Not many survived to be liberated.
We Remember
A memorial to those who died at Buchenwald.