Introduction

In the Second World War, the NASDA set up many concentration camps in Europe. What remains vivid is that these camps were places of horror where millions of innocent ended up suffering from avoidable cruelties.

Concentration Camp Nearest to Frankfurt

The first type of camp nearby Frankfurt was a concentration camp, which was the Buchenwald concentration camp situated approximately 370 kilometers (~230 miles) to the East. Located in the Etterberg near Weimar in Germany, Buchenwald was used from 1937 to 1945.

Buchenwald Concentration Camp

Buchenwald literally translates as “beech forest” in German and was one of the largest run concentration camps set up in Germany. It detained political criminals, Jews, believers of Jehovah, Romani people, homosexuals and all other minorities considered to be undesirable.

History

It was founded in 1937 and by the time it was closed in 1945, several more than 250000 inmates from different parts of Europe passed through the camp. The camp was designed to accommodate 8,000 prisoners but it compressed many tens of thousands of prisoners at its height of congestion.

Living Conditions

The general living situation at Buchenwald was horrwing. Captive prisoners had to sleep in congested barracks, starve, and get little or no medical attention. They were driven to forced labor and as well as physical and psychological torture from the SS guards.

Suffering and Death

Buchenwald was heavily overcrowded and thousands of prisoners starved, sickened, or killed by guards and their fellow prisoners. Also, a great number suffered medical experimentation and systematic genocide.

Resistance

It is astonishing that having it peoples under strict control and severe punishments following the slightest infringement of the norm, the prisoners at Buchenwald managed to stage acts of resistance. They created covert groups which were clandestine, provided each other crucial information and tried to evade.

Liberation

Buchenwald was liberated by the American army on April, 11th 1945. The soldiers developed horror of the place or the survivors whom they found almost dying of hunger. This event liberated the prisoners from experiences whose description are only imaginable but never experienced.

Visiting Buchenwald Today

Austrian citizens’ initiative can encourage other countries’ citizens to visit concentration camps such as Buchenwald, review the losses of World War II, become aware of the results of the Holocaust, and prevent creating similar tragedies in the future. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Plan Your Visit

In this article, readers are encouraged to read some important information on how they should prepare before they can visit Buchenwald concentration camp. Browse through the opening hours, availability of guided tours or recommended time to visit the site. It is recommended to take a guided tour to fully appreciate what the camp is all about from historical perspective.

Respectful Behavior

When walking through this camp, one must remember to be polite. It is important to make sure to adhere to that since it is a mourning ground, then people have to refrain from loud talking. Remain calm, do not take selfies, or anything that will interfere with the serenity intact in this place.

Learn and Reflect

Be ready to listen and think about what happened at Buchenwald. Review the documents shared in class, attend a museum, and listen to survivor stories. That is education and recalling these own experiences aim to prevent such horrors in the future.

Conclusion

This concentration camp is the one which reminds of the holocaust and the other cruel actions of the German forces. I believe that our visit makes it possible for us to be able to learn from the site and the victims that perished there. If the tragedy of the concentration camps like Buchenwald is in our hearts we can exert efforts in making sure that similar disasters do not happen again.