What were the living conditions in work concentration camps during the holocaust?

     In labor concentration camps, adults were emaciated, had to share a barrack with hundreds of people, and were forced to work. Working camps in WWII were an abominate way of living. The inmates slaved over their work for more than ten hours a day. Prisoners squandered 1,300 to 1,700 calories a day depending on how difficult the work they needed to accomplish was. Other than being annihilated by the Nazis, organic deterioration was another primary cause of death in barracks. In the barracks, there were more than seven-hundred people assigned to each it. Every night, at midnight, an inspector arrived to question the barrack leader on the condition of the barrack.

What inmates were fed

     Food was extremely minimal to inmates in WWII. Inmates who accomplished minimal work consumed a trifled 1,300 calories a day (Living conditions). Most of the prisoners were bestowed one cup of black coffee, one cup of soup, water, and one roll that was supposed to last them eight days (I saw Anne Frank die). Prisoners who attained difficult, physical labor received about 1,700 calories a day (Living Conditions). Many inmates died from organic deterioration. Organic deterioration occurred to many prisoners when inmates would not consume enough food or were in the camp too long (Living Conditions). A barrack leader explains, “When I asked the commandment for a little bit of gruel for the children’s diet, he would sometimes give me some extra cereal” (Menkel).

Housing

     Housing in the barracks was a poor excuse for a living condition. In the barracks, there were no showers or bedding for the inmates to use. (I saw Anne Frank die). There were six major work camps and numerous smaller camps nearby (The Holocaust Camps). Over 700 people were assigned to each barrack (Living Conditions). Many types of bunk beds were used in barracks, such as three tier wooden bunk beds, brick bunk beds, and wooden stable bunk beds (Living Conditions). The wooden stable bunk beds were made to hold fifty-two horses and each stall contained three tier wooden bunk beds (Living Conditions). A barrack leader describes, “At midnight the inspection came. I had to say everything was in good condition when, infact, the conditions were beyond miserable” (Menkel).

This is a photo of men in their barracks.

Work and Routines

     Extremely difficult work was assigned to each and every inmate in a work concentration camp. Every morning, roll call occured at six o'clock a.m. and sometimes, each prisoner would break there for hours (I saw Anne Frank die). The inmates, after roll call, would invest over ten hours a day working (Living Conditions). After a prisoner’s endeavor, they would be granted to wash their clothes in the few sinks available (I Saw Anne Frank Die). At midnight, inspectors arrived to question the barrack leader (I Saw Anne Frank Die). A barrack leader explains that, “Every morning, I would wake up at 5 a.m. and wake the rest,” (Menkel). 

This is an image of Women Working in WWII.

This is a picture of the ovens they used to burn the dead bodies of the inmates.

References

African American Woman Workers in WWII. 2005. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://player.discoveryeducation.com/>.

Byers, Ann. The Holocaust Camps. Berkley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, INC., 1998. Print.

     #3

“Living Conditions, Labor and Executions.” Jewish Virtual Library. The American-Israeli Cooperative System Enterprise, 2010. Web. 3 May 2010. <http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/‌jsource/‌Holocaust/‌auconditions.html>.

     #2

Menkel, Irma Sonnenberg. “I saw Anne Frank die.” Middle Search Plus. Newsweek, n.d. Web. 3 May 2010. <http://web.ebscohost.com/‌ehost/‌detail?vid=4&hid=15&sid=f8fbc13c-dcbf-4dc6-b347-a06217b2cb7f%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mih&AN=9707161214>.

     #1

Ovens in a German Concentration Camp. N.d. Discovery Education, 2005. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://player.discoveryeducation.com/‌index.cfm?guidAssetId=EDA63C5A-790E-4AA5-9A55-7EC0FBD81D6E&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US>.

Prisoners in their bunks at Dachau. 2005. Discovery Education, n.d. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://player.discoveryeducation.com/>.

Return to Home Page

Created By Nala