| March
1943 |
SS Hauptsturmführer
Adolf Hass is appointed Kommandant of a new special camp, designed
to hold prominent European Jews or Jews from neutral countries, who
could then be used to exchange for German citizens interned overseas. |
| July
1943-4 |
Stalag
311, a POW Camp near a village called Belsen, is selected as the site
for this new camp. The camp is divided into sections:
Neutralenlager
(Neutrals' Camp): Jewish citizens of neutral countries. Food and
sanitation are reasonable, and the prisoners don't have to work.
Sonderlager
(Special Camp): Contains Jews who, although of Polish origin, are
citizens of neutral countries and hold Palestine emigration papers.
Ungarnlager
(Hungarians' Camp): Opened in 1944 for Hungarian Jews due to be
sent to Switzerland. Conditions are reasonable and the prisoners
don't have to work.
Sternlager
(Star Camp): Named after the "Star of David" worn by the
prisoners. Contains exchange prisoners who have to work, although
they are allowed a degree of autonomy.
Haftlingslager
(Prisoners' Camp): Contains the prisoners previously held at Buchenwald
and Natzweiler who built the camp. They have to do hard labour and
are badly treated by their guards.
|
| March
1944 |
Belsen
is redesignated an Ehrholungslager (Recovery Camp) for prisoners from
other concentration camps, who are considered too weak to work. No
additional medical provision is made for these ill prisoners. |
| July
1944 |
A Frauenlager
(Women's Camp) is established to contain women and girls moved here
from camps located in the face of the Soviet advance from the east. |
| 2
December 1944 |
SS Hauptsturmführer
Josef Kramer replaces Hass as Kommandant. He immediately ends the
privilege regime enjoyed by the prisoners in the Sternlager. An official
census shows that there are now 15,257 prisoners in Belsen. |
| January
1945 |
The
numbers of prisoners moved to Belsen from the east continues to rise.
To accomodate the new prisoners, the remaining portion of Stalag 311
becomes the new Frauenlager. The old Frauenlager becomes a second
prisoners camp called Haftlingslager II. There is still insufficient
space for the numbers of prisoners. |
| February
1945 |
Belsen
approximate population is now 22,000 prisoners. During this month
7,000 prisoners die. Many of the prisoners, already seriously ill,
are kept in overcrowded huts. Typhus and other diseases begin to break
out. |
| March
1945 |
Belsen
now contains 41,520 prisoners, of which 18,168 die during this month. |
| 4
March 1945 |
105
Turkish citizens in the Neutralenlager leave for Sweden. Steps are
taken to begin clearing the Neutralenlager, Sonderlager and Sternlager. |
| 1
April 1945 |
There
are now approximately 44,000 prisoners in Belsen. In the period 1
- 15 April 1945, approximately 9,000 prisoners die of disease and
malnutrition. |
| 8
April 1945 |
Another
25,000 - 30,000 prisoners arrive at Belsen, from other cocentration
camps in the Neuengamme area. There are now over 60,000 prisoners
at Belsen. Some are housed in nearby army barracks. |
| 11
April 1945 |
3 transports
containing the remaining 7,000 prisoners from the Neutralenlager,
Sonderlager and Sternlager leave Belsen for an unknown destination. One reaches
Theresienstadt, the other two are liberated by Allied troops. |
| 12
April 1945 |
A truce
is established by the local German Army Commander, which covers a
48 square kilometre around Belsen. There is no indication of the state
of affairs at Belsen. |
| 15
April 1945 |
A loudspeaker
van from 14 Amplifier Unit, Intelligence Corps, and 63 Anti-Tank Regiment,
Royal Artillery, become the first British units to enter Belsen. Kramer
is arrested. Brigadier Llewelyn Glyn-Hughes, DDMS 2nd Army, takes
control of the relief operation. Appeals are made to send extra RAMC
units, to the Red Cross and the United Nations Relief & Rehabilitation
Association (UNRRA). |
| 17
April 1945 |
RAMC
units arrive at Belsen. It is decided to create a vast hospital area
in the nearby German army barracks. |
| 18
April 1945 |
The
burial of the dead begins. At first the guards were ordered to collect
the bodies and bury them. Due to the numbers of dead, and the risk
of more disease outbreaks, it is decided to use bulldozers to push
the piles of bodies into mass graves. A Jewish Camp Committee is established
by former prisoners, under the chairmanship of Josef Rosensaft. |
| 20
April 1945 |
Evacuation
of the camp is delayed by 24 hours, after the Germans who were clearing
the barracks under the 12 April truce, sabotaged the water supply. |
| 21
April 1945 |
Evacuation
of Belsen begins. After being deloused, the former prisoners are moved
into either newly-established hospitals or clean barrack accommodation.
During the period 21 April to 9 May 1945, 1,100 former prisoners are
evacuated from the camp. |
| 23
April 1945 |
Six
detachments of the British Red Cross arrive at Belsen. |
| 25
April 1945 |
The
daily death rate in Belsen is estimated at between 400 and 500 former
prisoners. |
| 28
April 1945 |
The
mass graves are completed. |
| 29
April 1945 |
The
remaining guards are transferred to Celle Prison. |
| 30
April 1945 |
97 medical
students from various London teaching hospitals arrive at Belsen,
to help with the relief operation. |
| 4
May 1945 |
More
RAMC units arrive at Belsen. |
| 8
May 1945 |
"Victory
in Europe" Day. The Second World War in Europe ends. |
| 11
May 1945 |
The
daily death rate among the former prisoners falls to below 100. |
| 19
May 1945 |
The
evacuation of Belsen is completed. All the former prisoners are now
housed in either the nearby former army barracks or in hospitals. |
| 21
May 1945 |
The
burning of the last hut at Belsen concludes the first stage of the
relief operation. |
| 28
May 1945 |
The
British medical students return to London. They are replaced by volunteers
from Belgian hospitals. |
| July
1945 |
6,000
former prisoners are taken by the Red Cross to Sweden for convalescence.
UNRRA officials begin to arrange the task of repatriating the former
prisoners. |
| 17
September 1945 |
The
trial of Josef Kramer and 44 other
former guards begins. |
| 17
November 1945 |
The
trail of Josef Kramer and 44 other
former guards ends. Josef Kramer and 10 others are sentenced to death
by hanging. 14 defendants are acquitted while the rest receive various
terms of imprisonment. |
| 13
December 1945 |
After
their appeals for clemency were rejected by Field-Marshal Montgomery,
the 11 people sentenced to death by hanging were executed at Hameln
Prison. |
| 6
September 1950 |
The
last former prisoner leaves Belsen for Palestine, and the camp is
closed. |