food costing-table about concentration camp prisoners

[andrek]

The german KZs were more or less administrated by german executives in SS uniform. German executives till this day are famous for their regulating frenzy. So it might be possible that there existed some sort of costing-table per prisoner and per day/month for food and maybe clothing. As for food i don' t know, but from the Bergen-Belsen exhibition i know that new prisinors were provided with clothing, shoes and a blanket. This stuff costs money. Does some sort of costing-table for KZ prisinors exists?

[David Thompson]

andrek -- I've never seen the concentration camp administrative costs per prisoner reduced to a single chart or table, but there is a geat deal of financial information about camp administration in this thread:

The SS-WVHA: violent police entrepreneurs
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=63443

From this thread, you can see that the administrative costs per prisoner were more than offset through forced labor projects, which were quite profitable for the SS.

As of 1 October [April] 1940 a compensation will have to be paid to the Reich for prisoners furnished for industrial purposes. Pending an approval by the Reich Minister for Finances, it has been set at an average rate of RM 0.30 per head and day, as far as SS owned enterprises are concerned.
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 116#577116

The rates for private industry were set higher, to allow for a greater profit margin (and to disadvantage private firms competing with "SS owned enterprises"). See http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 16#p577116 . It's probably safe to assume that the actual administrative outlay per prisoner (food, clothing, shelter, medical care, costs of guarding them) amounted to, or was less than, the rate charged the slave labor employers.

For those interested in calculating costs, the prewar Reichsmark (RM) was pegged at 4.30 to $1 (US). See http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 720#570720

By my calculations these "SS owned enterprises" were getting the concentration camp laborers in 1940 for about 15 cents (US) a day apiece. Reckoned in 2004 prices, that's about $3.25 (US) a day per worker -- just over 40 cents an hour for an eight-hour day (or longer -- at the beginning of 1943 it was an eleven-hour working day, and had been for some time -- See http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 063#577063 ).
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 20#p577120

These charged rates were increased considerably in 1942. See http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 42#p577142

You can get an idea of the profitability of the operation from the report of a single, "ordinary" camp -- KL Flossenbuerg -- for a single month (Dec 1944):

[Total] RM 3,673,965
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 160#577160

By my estimation, at that rate of exchange, the RM 3,673,965 for the month of December 1944 would translate to more than $850,000.00 (US)in 1944 dollars -- at 2004 prices, a monthly take of over $12,750,000 (US) in slave labor profit from this single concentration camp.

[andrek]

Thanks David, you supplied me here with a lot of information, it will take a while to get through it.

[Simon K]

Hi. I have seen a food ration table in terms of grams per item per prisoner, its not costed though. Have to recall where I saw it.

[andrek]

Would be great Simon.

[hucks216]

Hi. I have seen a food ration table in terms of grams per item per prisoner, its not costed though. Have to recall where I saw it.

I think I have seen one on a UK dealers site but for the life of me I can't remember which one.