SS-Totenkopfverbände

[coburg22]

Hello,

Well I know it's been a while but I have been doing my own writing on the side. I want to pick up where I left off by starting with the War Time SS-Totenkopfverbande by listing the KL's that I will be starting on. Any help is always appreciated and if someone would like to do the War Time KL Inspektorate that would be great.

Major War Time Concentration Camps:

KL Auschwitz-Birkenau (Extermination Camp)

KL Belzec (Operation Reinhard Extermination Camp)

KL Bergen-Belsen

KL Buchenwald

KL Chelmno (Extermination Camp)

KL Dachau

KL Flossenburg

KL Gross-Rosen

KL Majdanek-Lublin (Extermination Camp)

KL Mauthausen

KL Mittelbau-Dora

KL Natzweiler-Struthof

KL Neuengamme

KL Ravensbrueck

KL Sachsenhausen

KL Sobibor (Operation Reinhard Extermination Camp)

KL Stutthof

KL Theresienstadt

KL Treblinka (Operation Reinhard Extermination Camp)

[coburg22]

Next Section will be the Sub Camps for Each Major Concentration Camp followed by sections pertaining to the Camps themselves and their Staffs including Guards and Auxiliaries. I know there are Guard and Staff elements listed all over this part of the Forum but my main goal is to put all the eggs in one basket.

Best,

James

[coburg22]

Major Sub Camps of KL Auschwitz-Birkenau:

Altdorf
Althammer
Aneustadt
Babitz
Birkenau (Auschwitz II)
Bismarckhuette
Blechhammer
Bobrek
Bruenn
Budy
Charlottengrubbe
Chiemek
Eintrachthuette
Freudenthal
Fuerstengrube
Gleiwitz
Golleschau
Guenthergrube
Harmense
Hindenburg
Hohenlinde
Janinagrube
Jawischowitz
Kobior
Lagischa
Lauraheutte
Lichtewerden
Monowitz (Auschwitz III)
Nachhammer
Neudachs
Plawy
Sosnowitz
Trzebinia
Tschechowitz

Source: The Camp Men by French L. MacLean

Best,

James

[Georges JEROME]

I suggest you to have a look to this old but always actual thread :


http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7140

Georges

[coburg22]

Hello Georges,

Thank you for the link, I will be sure to add the information. I know there is information spread throughout the forum pertaining to the SS-TV and KL. My goal is to just put it all in one place under a Sticky for easy access and for something to add to the forum in general.

Best,

James

[JMayer]

Hello,

maybe an overview of main camps which where under the IKL control is helpful. If not otherwise commented the dates are (foundation - liberation).

KL Dachau (22.3.1933 - 29.4.1945)
KL Sachsenhausen (12.7.1936 - 22/23.4.1945)
KL Buchenwald (15.7.1937 - 11.4.1945)
KL Flossenbürg (1.5.1938 - 23.4.1945)
KL Mauthausen (8.8.1938 - 3/4.5.1945)
KL Ravensbrück (15.5.1939 - 30.4.1945)
KL Hinzert (1.7.1940(mandated to IKL) - 21.11.1944(subcamp Buchenwald))
KL Auschwitz (30.5.1940 - 27.1.1945)
KL Neuengamme (spring 1940 - 2.5.1945)
KL Natzweiler-Struthof (21.5.1941 - 22.11.1944(evacuated))
KL Groß-Rosen (1.5.1941(Sachsenhausen subcamp before) - 13.2.1945)
KL Stutthof (7.1.1942(mandated to IKL) - 9.5.1945)
KL Niederhagen/Wewelsburg (1.9.1941(Sachsenhausen subcamp before) - 30.4.1943(Buchenwald subcamp afterwards))
KL Lublin-Majdanek (7.10.1941 - 24.7.1944)
KL Arbeitsdorf (1.3.1942 - 4.10.1942)
KL Herzogenbusch (Vught) (2.12.1942(mandated to IKL) - 6.9.1944(evacuated))
KL Bergen-Belsen (Spring 1943 (around 30.4 SS-Commandstaff came from KL Wewelsburg) - 15.4.1945)
KL Mittelbau-Dora (28.10.1944(Buchenwald subcamp before) - 11.4.1945)
KL Riga-Kaiserwald (15.3.1943 - 11.10.1944(evacuated))
KL Warschau (7.1943 - 1.5.1944(Majdanek subcamp afterwards))
KL Vaivara (19.9.1943 - end of september 1944)
Kl Kauen (15.9.1943 - 1.8.1944) (not under WVHA control, but SS-Wirtschafter beim HSSPF "Ostland")
KL Plaszow (13.1.1944(forced labour camp before) - 14.1.1945(evacuated))

Theresienstadt was never an KL under IKL control. There was the ghetto Theresienstadt and the "Kleine Festung" was officially "Gestapo, Staatspolizeileitstelle Prag, Polizeigefängnis Theresienstadt" (founded in june 1940).

Source: "Der Ort des Terrors - Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager" Band 1-9

Greetings, Jens

[JMayer]

Hello coburg22,

some additional information on subcamps from KL Auschwitz. My source is "Der Ort des Terrors - Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager" Band 5.

Birkenau (Wirtschaftshof)
located in the remainings of the village Birkenau

Budy (Strafkompanie)
subcamp (Strafkompanie) fro woman was foundedd 26.6.1942 and located in an former
primary school and an nearby wooden hut. In springtime 1943 the
Strafkompanie for women where evacuated to Birkenau. Afterwards inamtes
from the subcamp Budy (Wirtschaftshof) quartered there.

Budy (Wirtschaftshof)
from april 1942 to january 1945 there was an subcamp for men and from 5.4.1943
an subcamp for woman after the evacuation of the "Strafkompanie".

2. SS-Eisenbahnbaubrigade
founded on 18.9.1944 and send to the south of germany (first location was
Karlsruhe-Durlach). In october 1944 it was renamed to "7. SS-Eisenbahnbaubrigade"
and became an Buchenwald subcamp. Then in november subcamp of KL Mittelbau-Dora
and finally from 1.1.1945 an subcamp of KL Sachsenhausen.

Gleiwitz I
founded between 8.3 and 27.3 1944 in the Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk.
evacuated on the 18.1.1945

Gleiwitz II
former forced labour camp for jews ("Rü Lager Degussa" - founded april 1942) was
mandated on the 3.5.1944 as KL Auschwitz III subcamp. Th inmates worked for
Deutsche Gasrußwerke GmbH (DGW) which where part of Degussa AG.
evacuated on the 18.1.1945

Gleiwitz III
camp to have workers for "Gleiwitzer Hütte" part of "Zieleniewski Maschinen-und
Waggonbau GmbH" which where relocated from Krakau. The camp got on 22.4.1944 an
telefon line. 22.5.1944 where around 50 of the 6. Wachkompanie commanded to
Gleiwitz III as staff. But maybe the first inmates came at the end of juli.
evacuated on the 19.1.1945

Gleiwitz IV
founded around the Keith- and Schlageterbarracks in june 1944.
evacuated on the 19.1.1945

Gleiwitz-Öhringen
was the first subcamp of KL Auschwitz, founded 10.7.1940. The inmates had to tear
down an former camp for polish POW. Closed was the camp in august 1940.

Kattowitz
from january 1944 to january 1945. The inmate shad to build air-raid shelters and
wooden huts for Gestapo.

Neustadt
former camp of russian and british POWs. The inmates worked for "Schlesische
Feinweberei AG Neustadt O/S". Founded as Auschwitz subcamp: 26.9.1944 (!? on
this date was an transport of 400 jewish women from KL Auschwitz-Birkenau).
evacuated on the 18. or 19.1.1945

Porombka
since october/november 1940 the SS build there an recreation home the "SS-Hütte
Porombka".

Radostowitz
there was an subcamp since september 1942 (maybe earlier). The inmates had to
work in the forest or brickyard. Maybe in the autumn 1943 ist was closed.

Rajsko
from june 1943 on the woman Arbeitskommandos (whats a good english word for it?)
"Pflanzenzucht" and "Gärtnerei" remained in Rajsko overnight and build the
subcamp. They lived in two wooden huts in the nordwest of Rajsko.
evacuated on the 18.1.1945

Sosnowitz I
from august 1943 to february 1944 inmates from KL Auschwitz had to redevelop an
office building at Targowastreet 12. One half of the inmates where send to
subcamp Lagischa on 1.12.1943, the other half between 16.2 and 19.2 1944.

Sosnowitz II
founded on 4.5.1944. The inmates had to work for "Oberschlesische Maschinen-
und Waggonfabrik AG" (OSMAG).
evacuated on the 17.1.1945

Tschechowitz (Bombensucherkommando)
founded after the allied air raid from 20.8.1944 and dismissed after 2 weeks.

Tschechowitz (Vacuum Oil)
after the end of the "Bombensucherkommando" the subcamp near the Vacuum Oil
Company was founded. First transport came 8/9.september.
evacuated on the 18.1.1945

Do you have additional information on subcamp Nachhammer? Because there is no information in "Der Ort des Terrors" as subcamp from KL Auschwitz.

Greetings, Jens

[coburg22]

Hello Jens,

Thank you very much for adding the additional information to this thread.

Best Regards,

James

[ohrdruf]

There is a book in German by an Austrian SS-Totenkopf man who served between 1938 (including at Dachau) and the war's end, msotly at the front, and escaped from Russian custody at a Berlin hospital. I have not seen the book mentioned in the various posts above and wonder if it is of interest. I will supply title, author and publisher if required (I have a copy indoors).

[TalkingZero]

I have a questionn !
Um, i know there's a division called Totenkopf in the Waffen SS, but is totenkopfverbande different?
I know they mean 'Deaths Head', but i get confused to weather it's the division, or verbande that's the head of all the camps -_-

[Kelvin]

Totenkopfverbande was SS Unit for guarding concentration camp. It was political unit

Totenkopf Division was unit formed some members from Totenkopfverbande and became one of crack divison in Waffen SS. It was military unit. This forum has many data on that division.

[TalkingZero]

Ohh! i think i get it
Thanks for explaining.

[Kelvin]

Hello, you are welcome.

[DerHenkerAusHalle]

This has been a very fascinating and educational thread; it answered a lot of questions I had about certain matters and how things were organized.Thanks to everybody who did all of this exhaustive research. Somebody mentioned that it is often difficult to get former KZL staff vets to talk about their past and this is certainly true. In my life I met one former guard and one man who had been in an Einsatzkommando unit and despite how close I was to them, they talked very little about it. As somebody in this discussion said, these vets often put that part of their past in a certain type of "locked drawer" in their hearts and do not like to talk about it. In psychology we call it "compartmentalizing". I think this is a survival technique to help guard against the painful memories that reside there. Not to mention that you wouldn't necessarily want people around you knowing that you had one of these grisly jobs. It would not raise your reputation in your community very much!

[coburg22]

Hello Der Henker Aus Halle,

I am glad that you like it, and this is one of many fascinating threads that have been put together over the years and in my opinion is the best History section of the SS/Polizei on the entire internet. I have learned many things on this forum the last five years that I never would have found in any book.

Best,

James