Introduction page 1 Concentration Camps
pages 2-5 Death Camps page 6 Buchenwald pages 7-11
Conclusion page 12-13 Endnotes pages 14-15 Bibliography
horrifying crime against humanity of all times. "Hitler, in an
attempt to establish the pure Aryan race, decided that all
mentally ill, gypsies, non supporters of Nazism, and Jews
were to be eliminated from the German population. He
proceeded to reach his goal in a systematic scheme." One of
his main methods of "doing away" with these "undesirables"
was through the use of concentration camps. "In January
1941, in a meeting with his top officials, the 'final solution'
was decided". The Jewish population was to be eliminated.
In this paper I will discuss concentration camps with a
detailed description of the worst one prior to World War II,
concentration camps were set up in 1933. In the early days
of Hitler's regime, concentration camps were places that held
people in protective custody. Victims for protective custody
included those who were either physically or mentally ill,
gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, Jews and anyone
against the Nazi regime. "Gypsies were classified as people
with at least two gypsy great grandparents." By the end of
1933 there were at least fifty concentration camps
throughout occupied Europe. "At first, the camps were
controlled by the Gestapo (police), but by 1934 the SS,
Hitler's personal security force, were ordered, by Hitler, to
control the camps." Camps were set up for several different
purposes. Some for forced labor, others for medical
experiments and, later on, for death/extermination. Transition
camps were set up as holding places for death camps.
"Henrick Himmler, chief of the German police, the Gestapo,
thought that the camps would provide an economic base for
the soldiers." This did not happen. The work force was
poorly organized and working conditions were inhumane.
Therefore, pr...