Testimony to Inhumanity and Survival

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Half a year after his return to Paris, Robert Antelme begins writing his eyewitness report “L’espèce humaine”. It is an early example of camp and holocaust literature that resorts to literary language to depict Antelme’s life in the camp and his experiences. As an important historical source for the subcamp in Gandersheim it shows Antelme as a witness and survivor. 

Dedication
Antelme commemorates his sister Marie-Louise, who was murdered in Germany.

Foreword
(1947): Thoughts on how to put the unimaginable he experienced into words. 

First Part
(Circa a third of the narrative; the 2nd of October, 1944 – 4th of April, 1945): Life in the subcamp (dehumanising hierarchy within the camp, persisting hunger, living with other prisoners, actions of the perpetrators, death during roll call, in the sick bay or during work assignments. 

Second Part
“La route” (5th of April, 1945 – 27th of April, 1945): Death march from the advancing Allies (encounters with civilians, aimless walking, successful and unsuccessful attempts of escape, hunger, and exhaustion). 

Third Part
“La fin” (27th of April, 1945 – 29th of April, 1945): Train ride, arrival and liberation in Dachau. 

Chronological Structure of the Book 

A Selection of Translations in the Native Languages of the in Gandersheim Imprisoned: 

1947 German
Gattung Mensch. Translated by Roland Schacht. Aufbau Verlag 

1950 Czech
Patřime k lidem. Translated by Karel Marek. 

1957 Spanish
La especie humana. Translated by Laura Masello. 

1969 Italian
La specie umana. Translated by Ginetta Vittorini. 

1987 German
Das Menschengeschlecht. Translated by Eugen Helmlé. Hauser-Verlag 

1995 Dutch
De menselijke soort. Translated by Jan Verstag. 

2019 Hungarian
Emberfaj. Translated by Szegő Gyorgy and Csordás Gabor.

[Depicted is the church Brunshausen]
Source: Katholisches Pfarramt Bad Gandersheim

Racist and Social Criteria:

Structures of the Forced Labour System

In [Depicted are the hierarchy of prisoner labels according to their nationality and perceived race, their sexual orientation, their political activities, and their criminality as well as their closeness to the SS and their chances of survival.]
Source: Based on a depiction from Wolfgang Sofsky, Die Ordnung des Terrors: Das Konzentrationslager, Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, S. 140.

The social hierarchy is based on racial, geographical, political and social criteria and is also reflected in the Brunshausen subcamp. Polish and Russian prisoners, often regarded as subhuman, are used for the hardest labour. Czech prisoners attain higher positions due to their education and their command of several languages. At the top of the hierarchy are career criminals and German political prisoners (‘camp celebrities’). In the Heinkel factory camp, Spanish prisoners take on functionary roles such as doctor or block leader. This illustrates the limited social mobility within the camps.

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured [Depicted is the barrack that housed Polish prisoners.] Source: Katholische Pfarrgemeinde Bad Gandersheim

Racist and Social Criteria:

Structures of the Forced Labour System

In [Depicted are the hierarchy of prisoner labels according to their nationality and perceived race, their sexual orientation, their political activities, and their criminality as well as their closeness to the SS and their chances of survival.]
Source: Based on a depiction from Wolfgang Sofsky, Die Ordnung des Terrors: Das Konzentrationslager, Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, S. 140.

The social hierarchy is based on racial, geographical, political and social criteria and is also reflected in the Brunshausen subcamp. Polish and Russian prisoners, often regarded as subhuman, are used for the hardest labour. Czech prisoners attain higher positions due to their education and their command of several languages. At the top of the hierarchy are career criminals and German political prisoners (‘camp celebrities’). In the Heinkel factory camp, Spanish prisoners take on functionary roles such as doctor or block leader. This illustrates the limited social mobility within the camps.

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured [Depicted is the barrack that housed Polish prisoners.] Source: Katholische Pfarrgemeinde Bad Gandersheim

Power Structures and Roles

Prisoner functionaries are a central element of the organised SS system. They are involved in the administration and control of the camp in order to lighten the workload of the SS guards and organise day-to-day life in the camp more efficiently. Their twofold role as prisoner and perpetrator symbolises the complex structure of the camp system, in which prisoners are forced to act against their own fellow prisoners and simultaneously fight for their own survival.

The prisoner functionaries include the camp elder (responsible for the internal administration and organisation of the camp), the block elder (supervises order and discipline within the blocks), the room elder (responsible for smaller units within the blocks), the kapos (supervise the prisoners when they are in the blocks), and the camp scribe (administers and documents daily routine in the camp. In the Gandersheim subcamp, the number of prisoner functionaries is at least 21 out of over 500 prisoners. 

Camp Elder: Administrator 

[Depicted is the prisoner registration card of the camp elder Paul Knopf.]
Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte Paul Knopf, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 6297847/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Paul Knopf joins the NSDAP in 1934. He provides contradictory information about his biography. Just one month before his arrival on the 2nd October, 1944, he is appointed as clerk.

Camp Clerk: Accountant

[Depicted is the prisoner registration card of camp clerk Augustin Soukup.]
Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte Augustin Soukup, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 7161580/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives

Augustin Soukup, a Czech, is arrested in 1939 and registered at Buchenwald concentration camp in 1944. Due to his qualifications, he is appointed camp clerk and is responsible for administrative tasks such as keeping the camp books.

Kapo: Inspector 

[Depicted is a document stating that Wilhelm Hölscher is allowed to assist with the transport of materials in the Brunshausen subcamp.]
Source: Bescheinigung Willy Hölscher, Buchenwald, 1.1.5.1/ 531755/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives

As a kitchen kapo, Wilhelm (Willy) Hölscher, has privileges such as camp outings, e.g. with Unterscharführer Hans Herman, the adjutant of the camp commander SS-Hauptscharführer Willy Dillenborger. Hölscher's unique position is also evident on the day of the evacuation, when he remains on site with the rearguard.

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

[Depicted are former prisoners Achtelik, Obiera, and Kofin in front of what used to be the kitchen barrack. In the background is the Heinkel factory, 4th of April, 1946.]

Camp Area: Separate Zone 

[Depicted is the newly built factory that the Heinkel AG leased in the summer of 1944.]
Source: Archiv Frank Baranowski The multi-storey factory building with hangar, warehouse, and basement is the central element of the camp area. To the south is the roll call area, around which the prisoners' barracks and the kitchen with storage area are clustered. Further south are the sick bay and the laundry. To the north of the factory are the carpentry workshop, the staff canteen, pantries, and the SS canteen. To the west of the factory there is a railway track. The entire area is fenced in. Outside the fence to the east, the former monastery church and a neighbouring farm are located.

Maps of the Brunshausen

Subcamp Drawn from Memory 

[Depicted on the left is a map drawn by Gaston Grandmaire who recounts the tracks (Voie ferrée en talus), the carpentry (menuiserie), the large warehouse (grand magasin), the administration (administration), the canteen for employees (cantine des employés) and the cantine for the SS (cantine SS) as well as the factory (usine), the roll call area (place appel) as well as the sick bay (infirmerie), and the kitchen (cuisine). Depicted on the right is a map drawn by Raymond Dornier.]

Source: (left) : P. Le Goupil, G. Texier, P. Texier: Bad Gandersheim - Autopsie eines Außenkommandos von Buchenwald, Stadt Bad Gandersheim, 2005, S.156.; (right) : P. Le Goupil, G. Texier, P. Texier: Bad Gandersheim - Autopsie eines Außenkommandos von Buchenwald, Stadt Bad Gandersheim, 2005, S.156. 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

[Depicted is the duty barrack and the canteen of the employees.]
Source: Katholische Pfarrgemeinde Bad Gandersheim 

Technology and Forced Labour
He 219 “Uhu” 

The Heinkel He 219 ‘Uhu’ is manufactured in all-metal shell construction. The fuselage consists of a front section with nose and pressurised cabin and a main section with three self-closing fuel tanks. It provides seats for the pilot, a signalman and a radio operator, all of whom are equipped with ejection seats. The materials used are mainly duraluminium and partly wood. 

With a wingspan of 18.55 metres, a length of 15.55 metres and a height of height of 4.10 metres, the He 219 reaches altitudes of up to 12,700 metres and speeds of speeds of 670 km/h. 

The prisoners performed forced labour on drilling and milling machines, lathes, pedal-operated cutting machines, and compressors, as well as on drawing and modelling tables, and in the manufacture of on-board panels for navigation devices. 

Scale model HE 219 

[Depicted is a true-to-scale model of the HE 219.] Source: Luftfahrtmuseum Hannover 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Maps of the Factory Drawn from Memory

[Depicted on the left is a map drawn by Henri Brugnon of the second floor for the aircraft fuselages. The map include the farm (ferme), the church (Eglise), the path to the church (Chemin de l’Eglise), the railway tracks (voie ferrée), the embankment (talus), the large warehouse (grand magasin), the assembly of the aircraft fuselages (Montage des carlingues), the compressor for the compressed air (compresseur), the toilet for the prisoners (W.C. détenus), the office of the civilian employees (Bureau du personnel civil), the factory floor (Etage de l’usine), as well as the path along the factory and the camp (route longeant l’usine et le camp). Depicted on the right is the map by Henri Brugnon of the first floor with the warehouse and the mechanical workshops. It shows the factory basement (Sou – sol de usine), the small warehouse (petit magazin), the forge (Forge), the welding workshop (Soudure), the assembly site (ajustage), the lathes (Tours), and the main entrance with a punch clock for monitoring civilian employees (Entrée principale avec Horloge pour controle des civils). 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Buchenwald Main Camp 

The Control Centre of the Network of Forced Labour Sites and Subcamps 

From 1942, the SS increasingly deploys prisoners from concentration camps as forced labourers in the weapons industry. By autumn 1944, the demand for labour has increased the number of prisoners tenfold. As one of 24 main camps, Buchenwald concentration camp administers an extensive network of 139 subcamps. By the end of 1943, almost half of the Buchenwald concentration camp's prisoners are in the subcamps. Prisoners are systematically deported to subcamps according to need and ‘fitness for labour’ as certified by SS doctors. 

The Buchenwald Main Camp and its Subcamps 

[Depicted is a map of the network of Buchenwald’s subcamps labelled according to their size.] Source: Archiv Fotograf Herbert Naumann 

The Buchenwald concentration camp maintains subcamps, spread across Germany, Belgium and France. Most of the subcamps are assigned to factories and construction projects. Brunshausen is the 79th subcamp in which prisoners perform forced labour under extreme conditions. 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Hidden Records: The Secret Photographs by Georges Angéli, June 1944 

Georges Angéli, a prisoner in the photo unit of the Buchenwald concentration camp, steals a camera in 1944 and secretly takes eleven photographs in the ‘Little Camp’ in order to create testimonies of horror and acts of resistance. The films are hidden, survive the destruction and remain largely unknown until the 1990s, before their significance is recognised. 

[Depicted is one of the photographs by Georges Angéli.] Source: Gedenkstätte Buchenwald 

Prisoners walking on the camp road. View of the Goethe oak tree. The laundry in the background, behind it the camp building. In the far right foreground, the building of the prisoners' kitchen. 

Hidden Records: The Secret Drawings by Paul Goyard, 1944/1945 

Paul Goyard, a French graphic artist and stage designer, documents day-to-day life during his imprisonment in Buchenwald concentration camp in around 300 drawings. These works are among the few surviving original documents from this period. 

[Depitced is one of the drawings by Paul Goyard.] Source: Gedenkstätte Buchenwald 

Passage from the main camp to the Little Camp, 1944/1945: View from stone block 48, stone block 47 Picture centre, Block 53 in the Little Camp below the fence on the right, towering in the background, the cinema barracks. 

Quotes from Robert Antelme: 

[Depicted are the prisoners standing by the latrines in the Small Camp. On the Left is the cinema barrack.] Photo: Georges Angéli 

The Individual in the System

Calculated Annihilation 

By using forced labourers, the SS aims to exterminate people by means of labour. Mass death is factored into the management of the subcamps. The living and working conditions in the subcamps are brutal due to weather, malnutrition, and organised violence to increase productivity. 

The prisoners' chances of survival are higher in the armaments production than on underground construction sites or in the so-called ‘fence commandos’. Prisoners, who are ‘unfit for work’ due to illness, injury or weakness are transferred to the main camp and sent to the concentration and extermination camps Majdanek and Auschwitz, and later to Bergen-Belsen. It is a death sentence for the prisoners. 

Between Buchenwald and Gandersheim: Multiple Transfers 

[Depicted is a medical note concerning Waldemar Francke from the Buchenwald main camp to the Brunshausen subcamp.] Source: Mitteilung Waldemar Francke, Buchenwald, 1.1.5.1/ 5317550/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Waldemar Francke, with more than seven previous convictions and committed to Buchenwald concentration camp on the 14th of July, 1944 for usurpation of authority, is transferred from Gandersheim to Buchenwald for a trial and returns on the 7th of February, 1945. In the intervening months, the medical card notes ‘4 weeks of light labour due to old age and cardiac insufficiency’. 

Labour Above Humanity 

[Depicted on the left is a document ordering the transport of prisoners from the Brunshausen subcamp back to the Buchenwald concentration camp, detailing names of the prisoners, their number, as well as the reason for the transfe. On the right is a document recording prisoners that are being deported to Buchenwald main camp due to illness, which renders them unable to work, or at risk for escape. The document states the current number of prisoners in the Brunshausen subcamp.] Source: (left) Veränderungsmeldung, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5317553/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives; (right) Veränderungsmeldung, Buchenwald, 1.1.5.1/ 5317553/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Prisoners who fall ill or are injured are seen as a burden: they are discarded, deported to Buchenwald main camp with no prospect of recovery or recuperation. There is no provision for a period of convalescence. 

People as Interchangeable Labour Force 

[Depicted is a report of the change in the numbers of prisoners, stating the deaths of Kamiel Baert while sawing wood and Marceau Pierre Delanchy due to a lung infection and cardiac insufficiency.] Source: Veränderungsmeldung, Buchenwald, 1.1.5.1/ 5317544/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

The first deceased and the first seriously injured person in the camp: First testimonies of the catastrophic conditions and the suffering of the prisoners. 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Day-to-day Survival in Terror and Mortal Danger 



Day-to-day life in the subcamp is characterised by terror and constant life-threatening danger. Catastrophic malnutrition, endlessly long working hours and a lack of safety precautions exacerbate the already unbearably cruel situation of the individualised camp society. Labour to the point of annihilation is a bitter reality for many prisoners. The so-called “Innenkommandos”, such as the kitchen, the sick bay, the warehouse and the hangar, are particularly desirable. These positions offer protection from the weather and the opportunity to collect barter supplies. In contrast, the outdoor commandos, such as those building barracks and in the quarry, offer significantly lower chances of survival with the greatest privilege being exemption from labour. 

The high number of French political prisoners, who mainly worked in the hall, is striking, whereas Russian prisoners, mostly farmhands and farmers, are assigned to the barrack unit. 

On most of the the prisoner registration cards the labour assignment is noted. 

[Depicted is a table denoting the nationality of the prisoners in the first line. From left to right: Overall, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, German, Belgian, Spanish, Czech, Croatian, Slovenian. In the first column from top to bottom, the functions, units or work stations are listed. Hangar, basement, warehouse, workshop, milling shop, metal workshop, finishing centre, electrician, technical sketcher, stoker, shoemaker, carpentry, tailor, laundry, clothing room, sick bay, kitchen, baracks command, camp command, SS-barack, camp guard, and roll call clerk.] Source: Portal zur Geschichte, 2025 

Eyewitness Raymond Bouley (Prisoner Number 76951) recounts: 

“The roll calls lasted up to three hours every day, in the snow, rain, and icy cold (winter of 1944/1945). One bowl of thin soup with 150 grams of bread, and shortly before the evacuation we barely got anything at all. The rations were reduced to a few potatoes.” Source: https://asso-buchenwald-dora.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/196.pdf (S.8), abgerufen 18.03.2025. 

Eyewitness George Dufresses (Prisoner Number 78666) recounts: 

“It was an aircraft factory. When we arrived, we had nothing to accommodate us. We were forced to build our barracks in the snow and cold; afterwards, we worked in the factory. We got up at four o’clock in the morning. The work would not have been too hard, if the working hours weren’t that long and we would have had something more to eat. We walked like old men. The kapos gave us little rest and quiet.” Source: https://asso-buchenwald-dora.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/196.pdf (S.8), abgerufen am 18.03.2025 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Reconstruction of the Daily Schedule 

On week days and Saturday: 

• 4.00 o’clock: Getting up 
• 4.45 o’clock: Morning roll call 
• Eating 
• 6.00 o’clock: Begin of the work day in the factory and for the barrack units 
• 9.00 o’clock: Break 
• Working 
• 12.00 o’clock: Eating 
• Working 
• 18.00 o’clock: End of the work day 
• Roll call 
• Eating 

On Sundays: 

• Off work 
• 12.30 o’clock: Soup 

Escape From Monotony 

Special days and activities offer the prisoners valuable escapes from the monotony and cruelty of camp life. These include both externally determined activities and self-determined moments that give the prisoners room for some independence. Every moment of freedom that is fought for symbolises the striving to remain human despite inhumane conditions. These brief moments of self-determination are decisive acts of resistance and help the prisoners to preserve their humanity. The moments ultimately become key moments – for the individual, for the respective group of prisoners, and for all of them together. 

The Hitler Youth Boy and the Prisoner: A Brief Encounter 

A former Hitler Youth boy describes his experience of accompanying a prisoner from Gandersheim town hall to the subcamp grounds. The eyewitness Dr Th. Brinkmann shares this memory, which can be accessed via the QR code on the Portal to History website. There, his account is read out in German by a pupil who is roughly the same age as the eyewitness at the time. A written translation of the eyewitness account is printed here. 

The audio follows two 14-years old boys, who were ordered in autumn of 1944, to escort a prisoner from the city hall in the town square of Bad Gandersheim to the Buchenwald subcamp. The following account was given by one of the boys, 80 years after this encounter took place. 

“In the autumn of 1944, my now deceased friend Heinz-Friedrich B. and I got the order from the Bannleitung of the Hitler Youth to take a prisoner from the Bad Gandersheim city hall to the “labour camp” Brunshausen. We were given orders, that the prisoner must at all times walk two metres in front of us, that we were forbidden to speak to him and to tell our friends and families about this incident. We both were only 14 years old at the time. I already possessed “front line” experiences due to an assignment at the defence construction in September 1944 close to the invasion front nearby Zwolle at the IJssel. There, I was injured due to low-altitude bombardments and stayed at the military hospital. 

We first encountered and took charge of the man in his striped prisoner uniform on one of the upper floors of the city hall, where he worked as assistant clerk. It was afternoon. I cannot remember who the people in charge of the transfer were. 

The path we were assigned led us along the Burgstraße, Neustadt, and Hildesheimer Straße to Brunshausen. In the city, the people who lived there, stared at us, which was embarrassing. 

After we had passed the viaduct and were outside of the city borders, we disobeyed our orders and spoke to the prisoner. He was a teacher from the Elsass region and spoke German fluently. 

In my memory, the “labour camp” and the factory grounds were, looking outwards from the city borders, on the left hand side in the direction of Clus. At the camp gate, uniformed men took the prisoner. They might have been from the German military or the SS. 

After our return, we reported at the office of the Hitler Youth Bann 449, across from the city hall, and confirmed that the order had been executed. It must have been autumn at the time of this encounter since we were still wearing our summer uniforms: Brown shirt, black corduroy pants, and a black knotted scarf. 

At first, we did not tell our mothers anything, because we knew, that we had done something unjust. After 80 years there might be gaps in my memory: I don’t remember anymore, whether we carried a small calibre rifle.” 

These events from autumn 1944 show the experiences and challenges of two teenagers during a horrific period in history. It is an eyewitness testimony, committed to paper, after 80 years. Eyewitness accounts are important historical sources, that recount personal memories and perspectives. Nevertheless, these testimonies remain subjective. How incidents and events are told may be influenced by the individual’s subjective perception and further changed over the course of time. It is therefore imperative, to critically question them in the context of other historical contexts, to understand and evaluate them. 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Conspicuous Payouts on the 13th of December, 1944 

[Depicted is a record of Gaston Riby’s monetary possessions which include a payout in his name on the 13th of December, 1944.] Source: Geldkarte Gaston Riby, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 6923809/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

The money card is used to manage credit notes and payments for prisoners. This administration is centralised in the main camp. On the 13th of December, 1944, there is a payment made to 38 money cards, especially those of French prisoners, with the note ‘Gandersheim’ as a signature substitute. It is not uncommon for prisoners in subcamps to receive money from their accounts, often to purchase additional food or other items locally. For the Gandersheim subcamp, however, there is no concrete information about the use of these funds, so the whereabouts and purpose of the sums remain unclear. 

Poetry and Songs of Protest 

On Sunday afternoon, the 1st of April, 1945, Gaston Riby organises an ‘entertainment performance’ in the French block, during which poems and songs, including the protest song ‘Le Temps des Cerises’, bring for a brief moment solidarity, humanity and hope to everyday life in the camp. In preparation for this, some prisoners manage to compile entire poems from remembered fragments and record them on found pieces of cardboard. 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

[Depicted is the former prisoner Achtelik who is looking out of the duty barrack in 1946.] Source: Katholisches Pfarramt Bad Gandersheim 

The Clus Forest Massacre  

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

On the 1st of April, 1945, Gauhauptamtsleiter Schünemann gives the head of the Brunshausen sub-camp, SS-Hauptscharführer Dillenborger, the order to evacuate the camp and, if necessary, to liquidate the prisoners. Dillenborger schedules the evacuation for the 4th of April, 1945. On the day before, an enquiry is made as to who is unfit to march. In addition to patients from the sick bay, other prisoners report in on the assumption that they can stay in Gandersheim. 

On the morning of the 4th of April, 1945, the 40 prisoners are led into the Clus forest by armed, uniformed Kapos and SS men, where they are shot. Those remaining in the camp hear the sound of machine guns. The victims are buried in a pit prepared by Russian prisoners. After a relatively large food ration, the remaining prisoners leave Brunshausen for the Harz Mountains, leaving behind a rearguard with camp elder Knopf, Kapo Hölscher and two other SS men. 

After the American invasion on the 9th April, 1945, the rearguard takes possession of the camp card index, the prisoner registration cards, and punishment cards and, according to statements, surrenders them to the security and defence officer of the US Army, Captain Knight. The murdered prisoners are dug up by women from Gandersheim in June 1945 and are reburied in the Salzberg cemetery. A memorial stone honours the names of the dead, but further research has shown that not all of the bodies are correctly identified. Three of the men are still anonymous today. 

Their murderers are never convicted. A memorial plaque at the monastery church, the Robert-Antelme-Weg, which leads to the execution site, and a memorial cross at the site itself commemorate the atrocity committed on the 4th April, 1945. A memorial service is held annually. 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

[Depicted is the first memorial service for the 40 murdered prisoners of the Brunshausen subcamp close to Gandersheim on the 4th of April, 1946.] Source: Katholisches Pfarramt Bad Gandersheim 

Death March  

Between Hope and Horror 

On the 4th of April, 1945, around 450 prisoners are marched on foot through the Harz Mountains by 20 SS men and 20 Kapos. They suffer from extreme cold and hunger, which they attempt to alleviate with dog biscuits. Bernhard Döllinger is shot on the 6th of April, 1945 for not keeping up. In Clausthal-Zellerfeld, the prisoners seek shelter in a church. As a punishment, the SS shoots 21 prisoners who had to relieve themselves in the church due to diarrhoea. On the 8th of April, 1945, the convoy reaches Wernigerode, some prisoners are released and others manage to escape. Only after ten days are they given food: a quarter of a loaf of bread and a slice of sausage. On the journey to Dachau, under catastrophic conditions in freight trains, many of the prisoners perish. On the 27th of April, 1945, a maximum of only 150 prisoners reach the Dachau concentration camp alive, where they are subjected to inhumane conditions. Two days later they are freed by US-troops. 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Witnesses of Horror 

Two identification tags and an amulet found on the bodies of prisoners of the Gandersheim subcamp that are shot at Hirschlerbrink near Clausthal-Zellerfeld: 

[Depicted are the identification tags of Francesco Capozzi (Italian; prisoner number 94284) and Julien Bize (French; prisoner number 20278) as well as the amulet of Réne Belvaque (French; prisoner number 94527).] Source: Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv Hannover 

A Request and Unanswered Questions 

On the 28th of September, 1944, Josef Gleich is committed to Dachau concentration camp by the Nuremberg criminal investigation department as a career criminal. From the 29th of October, 1944, he works in the Gandersheim subcamp in the factory's finishing unit. In May 1946, he requests a certificate from the Information Office for the former Concentration Camp Dachau about his imprisonment in Dachau concentration camp in 1933 and describes his release during the death march. 

[Depicted is the written request of Josef Gleich to the Information Office for the former Concentration Camp Dachau.] Source: Postkarte Josef Gleich, Buchenwald, 1.1.6.2/ 110068004/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Gaston Grandmaire  
09.11.1922 (Relanges, France) – 30.12.2013 (Relanges, France)



In Between Memory and Warning

On the 09th of October, 1944, the French political prisoner Gaston Grandmaire is taken to Dachau concentration camp by the Saarbrücken police. He is transferred to Buchenwald and the Brunshausen subcamp as early as the 27th of October, 1944. He has no personal belongings with him when he is deported, but a remaining balance of 51 Reichsmarks is recorded. Registered as a mechanic, Grandmaire works in the carpentry workshop. 

In 2001, Grandmaire visits Bad Gandersheim, writes poignant words in the town's Golden Book and visits the location of the former subcamp. Contemporary witnesses recall his vivid and painful memories of this time. But Grandmaire also looks to the future and is passionately committed to remembering. His goal: this dark chapter of history must not be forgotten and should serve as a warning to future generations. 

Prisoner Registration Card

[Depicted is the prisoner registration card for Gaston Grandmaire.] Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte Gaston Granmaire, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5998964/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Labour Assignment Card

[Depicted is the labour assignment card for Gaston Grandmaire from the concentration camp Buchenwald.] Source: Arbeitseinsatzkarte Gaston Grandmaire, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5998971/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives Grandmaire’s Entry in the Golden Book of the Town of Bad Gandersheim [Depicted is the entry into the Golden Book by former prisoner Gaston Grandmaire during his visit to Bad Gandersheim, 2001.] Source: Goldenes Buch der Stadt Bad Gandersheim, 2001 

Map of the Subcamp Brunshausen [Depicted is a map of the subcamp Brunshausen drawn by Gaston Grandmaire.] Source: P. Le Goupil, G. Texier, P. Texier: Bad Gandersheim - Autopsie eines Außenkommandos von Buchenwald, Stadt Bad Gandersheim, 2005, S.156. 

José Gomez: Doctor   

French

09.01.1912 – ? 

The Spaniard José Gomez, who is arrested on the 22nd August, 1944 by the commander of the Security Police and Security Service (BdS) in Paris, arrives in Brunshausen alongside Robert Antelme as a political prisoner from Compiègne via Buchenwald. In Buchenwald, he is assigned to Kommando 44 (Construction Command II) on the 21st of September, 1944. According to the prisoner registration card, Gomez lives in Rouen and speaks several languages. He is pre-assigned to the sick bay of the Brunshausen subcamp in September 1944, and arrives in Gandersheim on the first transport with 200 prisoners on the 2nd of October, 1944. Due to his position as a functional prisoner, he received better treatment and privileges in the camp. He survives the Holocaust. 

Prisoner Registration Card 

[Depicted is the prisoner registration card for José Gomez.] Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte José Gomez, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5978539/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Quote from Robert Antelme: 

Labour Assignment Card from the Buchenwald Concentration Camp 

[Depicted is the labour assignment card for José Gomez from the Buchenwald concentration camp.] Source: Arbeitseinsatzkarte José Gomez, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5978543/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

… And I am asking myself 

This exhibition is a step forward in the uncovering of the history of Brunshausen and Bad Gandersheim. Nevertheless, research into the Buchenwald subcamp is far from complete and the Portal zur Geschichte e.V. is committed to continuing its research. We look forward to receiving your questions and hopefully being able to answer them in the future. 

Wilhelm Ohlendorf: Resistance Fighter 

German

23.04.1901 – 26.11.1944 

[Depicted is Wilhelm Ohlendorf.] Source: private 

Born in Braunschweig, Wilhelm Ohlendorf, an engineer at the IG Farben factory in Bobingen, opposes the Nazi regime and joins the ‘International Socialist League of Struggle’. In 1938, he is sentenced in a show trial to six years in prison with forced labour. After serving his sentence in Amberg and Kassel, however, he is not released but deported to Dachau concentration camp as a protective custody prisoner. On the 17th November, 1944, he was transferred to Gandersheim, where he died nine days later of exhaustion and malnutrition. The report from Gandersheim to Buchenwald states the cause of death and bears the signature of fellow inmate and camp doctor José Gomez. Ohlendorf's wife contacts the commandant's office in Buchenwald with detailed questions in order to obtain more specific information about the circumstances of Ohlendorf's death. 

Report from Gandersheim to Buchenwald 

[Depicted is the note sent from Brunshausen subcamp to Brunshausen main camp.] Source: Meldekarte Wilhelm Ohlendorf, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 6738578/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Letter from Johanna Ohlendorf to the commandant’s office Buchenwald 

[Depicted is the letter sent by Johanna Ohlendorf to the commandant’s office Buchenwald. She writes: „On the 8th of January, 1945, I received a certificate from the Weimar registry office confirming the death of my husband Willy Ohlendorf on the 26th of November, 1944. (No. 111675) Since I have been apart from my husband for a very long time and was hoping to be reunited with him in the near future, I am particularly devastated by this news. It is certainly understandable that I would like to know at least something about his last hours. That is why I am asking for information, especially in the interests of my three children: 

1. What was the cause of my husband's death? 
2. Did he leave a message for me? 
3. When and where was he buried? 
4. Is it possible to receive the watch for my son and the ring for me as a memento? I would ask that the private belongings be returned on behalf of my son. (…)”] 

Source: Brief Wilhelm Ohlendorf, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 6738575/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Say My Name 

In memory of the men who were imprisoned in the Brunshausen subcamp: We speak their names, we remember them. 

Karl Stumpf: Lowest Prisoner Number

German

01.03.1921 – ?

Prisoner number: 158 

Karl Stumpf is deported to Buchenwald concentration camp by the Frankfurt am Main Stapo on the 7th of August, 1944. Two particularities stand out: He is given a very low prisoner number and is deported to the Gandersheim subcamp as a 1st degree half-breed, although his number card states ‘Dikal’ (not allowed in any other camp). The reason given for his imprisonment is ‘intercourse with an Aryan woman’, which defies racist Nazi ideology. In addition to German, Stumpf spoke French and some English. He was assigned the post of clerk in the warehouse; he was also assigned to the factory fire brigade. These assignments make him a prisoner functionary with a higher status and privileges. 

[Depicted is the labour assignment form for Karl Stumpf.] Source: Personalbogen Karl Stumpf, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 7212132/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Prisoner Registration Card 

[Depicted on the right is the photograph taken of Karl Stumpf in Buchenwald concentration camp. Depicted on the right the prisoner registration card for Karl Stumpf.] Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte Karl Stumpf, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 7212137/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Number Card 

[Depicted ist he number card for Karl Stumpf.] Source: Nummernkarte Karl Stumpf, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 7212131/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Alexej Melnik: Youngest Prisoner
Russian

09.03.1929 – ? 

On the 28th of September, 1944, the Russian Alexei Melnik is sent by the Secret State Police (Gestapo) Ellwangen first to Ellwangen prison and then to Dachau concentration camp for an unauthorised leave. Reports of his year of birth vary between 1924, 1927 and 1929. It is possible that there was a clerical error due to incorrect transcription or linguistic misunderstanding, or that Alexei Melnik deliberately gave false information about his age in order to avoid certain tasks or to protect himself from selection. According to the labour card, he is assigned to the Brunshausen subcamp as a lathe operator on the 27th of October 1944, without any technical training. 

Prisoner Registration Card 

[Depicted is the prisoner registration card for Alexej Melnik.] Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte, Alexej Melnik, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/6607469/IST Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Pierre Dubesset: Oldest Prisoner 

French

28.08.1880 

The Frenchman Dubesset, a concrete worker, is arrested by the BdS Paris on the 21st of August, 1944, shortly before his 64th birthday. He is deported to Buchenwald alongside Robert Antelme, where he has the 100 Reichsmarks he brought with him paid out on the day of his arrival. Initially, he works in the drainage and construction detail. His name appears on the list of skilled labourers drawn up for the Gandersheim subcamp on the 2nd of September, 1944 as a carpenter. On the 2nd of October, 1944, Dubesset is transferred to Gandersheim, and on the 8th of November, 1944, he is transferred back to the Buchenwald main camp together with four other prisoners. From the 5th of February, 1945, Dubesset is assigned to the Ganswindt detail. 

Labour Assignment Card from the Buchenwald Concentration Camp 

During the labour statistics muster, prisoners are assigned a skilled worker number (FA no.), often with the exact date. Qualified labourers, including craftsmen, are also included in a numbered index of skilled workers. The abbreviation Aust 29/11 under BEM (remark) cannot currently be decoded. 

[Depicted is the labour assignment card for Pierre Dubesset.] Source: Arbeitseinsatzkarte Pierre Dubesset, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5786707/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Effects Card 

After being deported back to the Buchenwald main camp, a handwritten note is made on the effects card on the 13th of November, 1944: ‘Has private belongings.’ 

[Depicted is the effects card for Pierre Dubesset.] Source: Effektenkarte Pierre Dubesset, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5786713/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Ryszard Zielinski: Highest Prisoner Number
Polish 13.11.1923 – ?

Prisoner Number: 96976 

Ryszard Zielinski is deported to Ausschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on the 29th of April, 1943 by the Warsaw Stapo for possession of ammunition and transferred to Sachsenhausen on the 29th of October, 1944. He arrives in Gandersheim on the 19th of December, 1944 with a group of 49 Polish prisoners. The group is assigned consecutive numbers by the Buchenwald main camp. Zielinski receives the highest prisoner number, No. 96976, in the Gandersheim subcamp. Within the inmate society, the numbers served as an important indicator of how long a person had been imprisoned: the higher the number, the shorter the imprisonment. Zielinski's higher prisoner number suggests a shorter imprisonment and deportation at first glance. However, he was imprisoned more than a year longer than his fellow prisoner Karl Stumpf with the lowest prisoner number. 

Prisoner Registration Card 

[Depicted is the prisoner registration card for Ryszard Zielinski.] Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte Ryszard Zielinski, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 7487672/ IST Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Kamiel Baert: Non-Commissioned Officer  
Belgian

27.05.1854 – ? 

The Belgian Kamiel Baert arrives at Buchenwald concentration camp on the 10th of August, 1944 through the BdS Brussels. A few days later, his name appears on the list of prisoners earmarked for the Brunshausen subcamp to work as a builder. Four days after his arrival on the 2nd of October, 1944, he injures his left hand while sawing wood and returns to Buchenwald on the 7th of October, 1944. His left forearm had to be amputated. A second operation is noted for the 20th of January, 1945, followed by the note: three months light labour. Also added in handwriting: 30 Jan. 1945 DNT invalid, although the abbreviation DNT cannot currently be decoded. Despite the note, he is assigned to Kommando 20a from the 27th of March, 1945. 

Medical Card 

Medical cards are used to record prisoners who are admitted to the sick bay. The medical history is recorded in abbreviated form without documenting the course of treatment. At first glance, the card gives the impression of orderly medical care. 

[Depicted are the front and back of the medical carf for Kamiel Baert.] Source: Krankenkarte, Kamiel Baert, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5461481/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Numbers as Witnesses to History 

584 – Highest occupied prison capacity 

13 – Nationalities 

186 – Days the Buchenwald subcamp existed 

12 – At least 12 hours of work daily, except on Sundays 

43 – Prisoners presumably died on site due to their incarceration 

3 – Times a day there was a roll call lasting up to three hours 

450 – Prisoners that were sent on the death march on the 4th of April, 1945 

40 – Prisoners were murdered in Clus forest on the 4th of April, 1945 

45 – Presumably 45 deportations back to Buchenwald main camp 

1 – One finished aircraft fuselage, which is returned to Gandersheim unsuitable for use 

Iwan Gontscharenko 
Russian

16.08.1920 – ?

Ivan Gontscharenko is deported to Dachau concentration camp as a Russian civilian labourer by the Stuttgart Stapol on the 4th of October, 1944. After a three-day and two-night journey, he arrives in Gandersheim on the 17th November, 1944 alongside 332 other prisoners from Dachau. The overall number of prisoners more than doubles. The already catastrophic accommodation in the monastery church worsens considerably as a result. Gontscharenko escapes just under a month later. On the 27 December, 1944, the report of prisoners' changes in the Buchenwald main camp lists five prisoners from the subcamp as fugitives: the Italian political prisoners Benedetto Imeri and Gino Sangaletti as well as the Russian civilian workers Iwan Borokow and Andrei Molotow. While the two Italians are recaptured at the end of December, the three Russian prisoners appear to have managed to escape from Gandersheim. 

Prisoner Registration Card 

[Depicted is the prisoner registration card for Iwan Gontscharenko.] Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte Iwan Gontscharenko, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5980313/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Labour Assignment Card from the Buchenwald Concentration Camp 

Under BEM (remark) Goncharenko is noted as fugitive as of the 27th of December, 1944. 

[Depicted is the labour assignment card for Iwan Gontscharenko.] Source: Arbeitseinsatzkarte Iwan Gontscharenko, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 5980313/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Escape Report From the Buchenwald Concentration Camp Commandant's Office 

[Depicted is the report from the Buchenwald concentration camp commandant’s office on the escape of Iwan Gontscharenko.] Source: : Meldekarte Iwan Gontscharenko, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/5980319/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Imprisoned by the Nazi Regime 

The reasons for the prisoners' incarceration were partly politically or ideologically motivated, partly arbitrary and mostly unknown. 

Reasons for imprisonment using the example of the Italian prisoners who arrived in Brunshausen on the 17th of November, 1944 from Buchenwald concentration camp in the Gandersheim subcamp. 

[Depicted is a description and table given in Autopsie eines Außenlagers, stating: 

• A total of 333 prisoners are deported to Dachau on the 17th of November, 1944 
• 122 Italians 

Imprisonments between the 5th of September, 1943 and the 21st of October, 1944. 

Many prisoners were deported to Dachau via the Bolzano police camp, a Nazi transit camp from the 1st of June, 1944 to the 3rd of May, 1945. 

Reason for incarceration/number of cases 

Unknown/40 Politically suspicious/10 Politically unreliable/4 Politically aligned with the enemy/1 Politically active/1 Political propaganda/1 Political cursewords/1 Statements hostile to the regime/1 Communist/1 Partisan/5 Authorities are convinced he helped a partisan/1 Did not report for mustering/4 Deserter/2 Interned soldier/1 Hid his son from the SS/1 Reported without documentation/1 Without documentation/1 Unauthorised border crossing/1 Armed/2 Refusal to work/2 Unemployed/1 Worked while sick/1 Black market trading/1 Trafficking/1 Sabotage/1 Was circled/2 Was excavated/3 Razzia/3 Presumably slept with the son of the landlord/1 Sopretto pol…? (Unreadable)/5 Overall 113] 

Reasons for imprisonment using the example of the Polish prisoners from Buchenwald concentration camp who arrived in Brunshausen on the 19th of December, 1944. 

[Depicted is a description and table given in Autopsie eines Außenlagers, stating: 

• Overall 50 Polish prisoners arrive on the 19th of December, 1944 
• The first group accommodated in the newly built barracks in Block I 
• Consecutive numbers from 96927 to 96976 
• Many speak German, some Russian and/or Czech, few English 
• Imprisonment between the 4th of May, 1940 and 2nd of October, 1944 

Reason for imprisonment/number of cases 

Unknown/26 Political/5 Politically unreliable/4 Organised in USZ/1 Communist overtures/1 Illegal organisation/2 Anti-German remarks/1 Anti-German activities/1 Part of the resistance/1 Courier of the resistance/1 Night of the DR False documentation/1 Possession of ammunition/1 No reason given/4 Overall 46 

Uncertainty in the Case of Eduardo Lussi: Political Prisoner  
Italian

24.02.1912 – 12.03.1945

The Italian carpenter Eduardo Lussi (no. 94463/113371) is deported from BdS Verona to Dachau concentration camp on the 9th of October, 1944 and is on the transport list from Dachau to Gandersheim on the 18th of November, 1944. An escape attempt from Dachau is noted for the 12th of November, 1944, but he is re-arrested in Milan on the 30th of November, 1944. A telex documents ‘remains at BdS Verona, as SB’ (special treatment). A second prisoner number is issued in February 1945 for Eduardo Lussi, who is transferred to the Mauthausen concentration camp by the BdS Verona, with identical characteristics. ‘One hand crippled’ is noted as a special characteristic. A consequence of the special treatment? Just one week after his committal, he is shot during an escape attempt on the 12th of March, 1945. Although his name is on the transport list to Gandersheim, it seems unlikely that Lussi ever arrived there. The contradictory documents illustrate how those administering the Dachau and Buchenwald camps tried to evade responsibility. 

Prisoner Registration Card Noting Escape 

[Depicted is the prisoner registration card for Eduardo Lussi.] Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte Eduardo Lussi, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 6531619/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Report of Escape Posing the Question of Blame 

[Depicted is a report on Lussi’s escape, stating: “RE: Fugitive Prisoner (…) Lussi Eduardo, born on the 24th of February, 1912 in Poland 

Firstly, The above mentioned escaped the Kommando Bad-Gandersheim on the 10th of November, 1944. Searches were launched. RSMA was notified. The question of blame has not been resolved. (…).”] Source: Fernschreiben Eduardo Lussi, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 6531625/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Special Treatment 

[Report from the Buchenwald concentration camp regarding the special treatment, stating: “RE: Re-captured prisoner Lussi Eduardo (…) Note has been taking of the re-capturing of the prisoner Lussi. Since [BdS Verona] requested special treatment, a transfer is averted. Requested is a report on the presumably carried out special treatment. (…)”] Source: Meldekarte Eduardo Lussi, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 6531619/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Bartélémy Rullan: Merchant
Spanish

 24.12.1912 – ? 



Rullan lives with his parents, wife, and three children in Perpignan and works as a merchant. On the 7th of August, 1944, the Perpignan customs police commit him to Compiègne prison and deport him to Buchenwald on the 21st of August, 1944. On the 27th of September, 1944, he is assigned to Kommando 50. In Brunshausen, he is assigned to the hangar labour unit. In Barrack III, where six Spaniards, 14 Belgians and 229 Frenchmen were housed, he was block leader and thus a prisoner functionary benefiting from special protection and privileges. 

Money Card 

Rullan has on arrival in Buchenwald a sum of RM 645 in cash. The deposit and withdrawal on the day of his arrival are signed by him. 

[Depicted is the money card for Bartélémy Rullan.] Source: Geldkarte Barthelemy Rullan, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 6978088/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Prisoner Registration Card 

[Depicted is the prisoner registration card for Bartélémy Rullan.] Source: Häftlingspersonalkarte Barthelemy Rullan, Buchenwald, 1.1.5/ 6978093/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Cramped Conditions, Freezing Cold, and Hardship: Catastrophic Accommodation

The half-ruined, unheated former monastery church serves as the first accommodation for the prisoners from the beginning of October 1944 to mid-January 1945. By mid-November 1944, at least 584 men are living there. The prisoners suffer food deprivation, lice, dirt, violence, and cold. 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

[Depicted is a map of the church by Henri Brugnon, including the sick bay (revier), straw on the floor for sleeping (paille etendue pour le coucher), hallway as passage to the sick bay (allée pour passage au revier), oven (poêle), cemetery (cimitière), latrine and two water points (w.c. et 2 points d’eau), chamber of the camp leader (portail d’entrée), kitchen (cuisine), and the ground floor of the monastery church (red de chaussee de l’eglise). 

Layout of the Monastery Church Drawn From Memory 

The layout of the church in Brunshausen is courtesy of former prisoners. The high choir is the sick bay, while the rest of the room serves as a dormitory. The latrine and water connections are located outside. 

[Depicted is the layout of the monastery church courtesy of former prisoners and printed in a brochure of Bad Gandersheim 1989, submitted by a survivor in 2001. The plan includes the main entrance (Haupttür), the mezzanine (Zwischengeschoss auf der Etage), and the choir/sick bay (Chor (Krankenrevier)). 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Prisoner Numbers 

On the 2nd October, 1944, 200 prisoners are transferred from the Buchenwald concentration camp to the Brunshausen subcamp and housed in the church. On the 17th of November, 1944, a second mass transport of 333 prisoners from Dachau concentration camp reaches Gandersheim. A total of 584 men are quartered in the church until the first barracks are erected on the camp grounds by the fence command. The prisoners who are deported to Brunshausen on the 19th of December, 1944 are immediately placed in the barracks. The prisoners from the first two transports are subsequently relocated to the barracks. 

[Depicted is a report on the Change in the number of prisoners in the Brunshausen subcamp.] Source: Veränderungsmeldung Häftlingsstärke, Buchenwald, 1.1.5.1/ 5317546/ ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

The Golden Book of the Town Bad Gandersheim

 Leather binding, thick paper, slightly frayed at the edges 

The Golden Book of the town of Bad Gandersheim contains entries from August 1991 to July 2014, including an entry by Gaston Grandmaire, a former prisoner of the Gandersheim subcamp. 

Lender: Town of Bad Gandersheim 

Lid of an Aspirin Container

Plastic, 6.70 cm x 5.50 cm, Halde II, Buchenwald concentration camp 

Rectangular, mint-coloured plastic lid of an aspirin can with visible imprint. In the centre is the lettering ‘ASPIRIN’ in capital letters (letter height: 6.0 mm), accompanied by the company logo of the Bayer AG. The inscription ‘20 original tablets of 0.5 g’ is legible on the upper edge. Due to its condition - dented, bent and scratched - no further details are recognisable. 

Aspirin, one of the most effective painkillers and antipyretics of its time, was developed and introduced as a medicine by the Bayer company at the end of the 19th century. Its anti-inflammatory properties made it particularly valuable in concentration camps, where medical supplies were intentionally scarce. The lid symbolises the practical and emotional significance of such medicines. 

Lender: Buchenwald Memorial 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Two Identification Badges and an Oval Amulet 

Metal and duraluminium

 

The objects were found among murdered concentration camp prisoners from the subcamp Gandersheim at Hirschlerbrink near Clausthal-Zellerfeld. The objects are evidence of the systematic documentation and registration of people in the camp as well as the individual creativity and resilience of the prisoners. The handmade amulet symbolises an act of self-determination and humanity in an inhumane environment. The identification tag with the number 94382 and an ‘I’ in a triangle belonged to the prisoner Francesco Capozzi, the identification tag with the number 20278 and an ‘F’ in a red triangle belonged to the prisoner Julien Bize. The oval amulet was made of duraluminium from the Heinkel factory by the prisoner himself. It bears the stamped number 94527 and the prisoner's name Réne Belvaque. 

Lender: Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv Hannover 

File of the Göttingen public prosecutor's office in the investigation against unknown persons for crimes against humanity [murder] concerning 25 unknown prisoners near Cl.-Zellerfeld

Paper, bound (thread stitching with sheets glued in) 

After the killing of the prisoners at Hirschlerbrink near Clausthal-Zellerfeld, an investigation was opened on the 6th of January, 1948 against the perpetrators, who could not be identified and brought to justice. 

Lender: Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv Hannover 

Shard from the Edge of an Improvised Mirror 

Glass shard broken on three sides with a mirrored layer on the back, 5.7 x 5.0 x 0.12 cm, Halde I, Buchenwald concentration camp 

The surface of the object shows slight scratches. The mirror coating has partially peeled off, is cracked and stained. It is fragile but in good overall condition. 

The mirror represents the improvised use of scarce resources by prisoners in the camp. Cut from window glass and coated with mercury or lacquer, it was produced as a rare commodity for everyday needs such as personal hygiene. It symbolises the self-respect and physical self-discipline of the prisoners, who resisted neglect - contrasting with the strict camp regulations, which demanded order, cleanliness and discipline. 

Lender: Buchenwald Memorial 

Quotes from Robert Antelme’s The Human Race: Rights are being secured 

Poetry Anthology by Willi Ohlendorf (1921 – 1939) 

Cardboard cover, paper, published by his wife Johanna Ohlendorf in 1988 

Willi Ohlendorf's granddaughter, Dunja Peterhans, donated the volume of poetry to the Portal zur Geschichte so ‘(...) that the memory of (...) Grandpa is kept alive (...)’. 

Willi Ohlendorf was one of the prisoners in the Gandersheim concentration camp and died there in November 1944. Some of the poems he wrote during his imprisonment. 

Ernst Heinkel – An Aviation Pioneer with a Layered and Complex History 
Born: 24.01.1888 in Grunbach ( Wuerttemberg) Died: 30.01.1958 in Stuttgart

Ernst Heinkel was a German engineer and aircraft engineer. After studying mechanical engineering, he began his career with various aircraft manufacturers. 

In 1922, Heinkel founded Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in Rostock-Warnemünde. Three years later, he received an honorary doctorate for his aircraft designs from his former technical college at the Württemberg Technical University in Stuttgart. In 1932, the University of Rostock also honoured him with this title on the occasion of the company's tenth anniversary. In the same year, he developed the He 70 for Lufthansa, at the time the fastest passenger aircraft in the world with innovative retractable landing gear. 

He joined the NSDAP in 1933, became a military economic leader in 1937 and received the title of professor from Adolf Hitler in 1938. In the same year, together with Willy Messerschmitt, Ferdinand Porsche and Fritz Todt, he was honoured with the German National Prize for Art and Science, which had been donated by Adolf Hitler a year earlier. 

Heinkel introduced the company improvement programme (BVW) at his plant in Warnemünde as early as 1930. In 1943, he gave a lecture on the subject at the Reichsarbeitsgemeinschaft, his presentation was published by the German Labour Front (DAF) and served as an advertising tool for the Nazi's BVW, which had been enforced since 1940. 

Heinkel pursued an expansive company strategy, which led him to constantly open up new plants and areas of operation. This strategy led to conflicts with the armaments industry and resulted in the founding of Ernst Heinkel AG in 1943, which limited his direct influence on the company. 

During the Second World War, Heinkel's company was a central component of the German armaments industry. Forced labourers and concentration camp prisoners were used in the production facilities - a dark chapter in the company's history that cannot be ignored. 

Heinkel was interned in Paris at the end of May 1945 and questioned near London from June 1945 onwards. Back in Germany, he presented himself in a brochure as an opponent of the Nazi regime. In 1947, he was categorised as a main perpetrator, as he had profited from the Nazi era as a member of the NSDAP and a military economic leader. In particular, he was accused of forced labour in his factories. In January 1949, however, the Ansbach Appeals Chamber declared him cleared. His conflicts with the NSDAP leadership were known, personal guilt was denied. According to the balance sheet figures, no economic advantage could be proven either. 

In 1950, the Heinkel-Werke in Stuttgart was relaunched, producing scooters such as the robust ‘Heinkel Tourist’ as well as motormobiles and engines. The company later returned to its roots with aircraft development under the name Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugbau in Speyer. 

[Depicted is a letter of Ernst Heinkel to Hans Schürrle regarding the awarding of his submission for the improvement of the company. It states: 

‘Dear Mr. Schürrle! 

I was very pleased to learn of your excellent performance in the company and of your numerous valuable suggestions for improvement. Although a number of the suggestions are on the periphery of your field of work within production consulting, others are unrelated to your operational tasks and are therefore to be regarded as special achievements. I would like to mention in particular your designs for quick-release fasteners and socket pins, which were registered for the DRGM and DRP and are used on a large scale in the company. Furthermore, the wing fuselage panelling developed by you and the interchangeable fastening of special carriers and container covers brought considerable advantages to the production process. The other suggestions have also proved to be very useful in practice and have resulted in time and material savings. 

I would like to thank you and express my full appreciation for your suggestions for improvement and your special efforts in the factory. I have decided to award you the second of the Volkswagen cars offered as a special bonus in recognition of your contribution. The car has already been ordered and will be handed over to you after delivery. Of course, you will have to wait until after the peace treaty. 

I congratulate you on your successes and hope that you will continue to achieve such significant results in your work in the future. (...)’ 

ETechnical Advancements and Historical Responsibility: Heinkel Between Innovation and Morality  

Founded in Rostock in 1922, Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, which became Ernst Heinkel AG in 1943, developed into a leading German aircraft manufacturer with worldwide exports. In addition to aircraft construction and engine technology, the company also included licence production, armaments projects and industrial operations such as mining and smelting works. With 1352 patents in aviation and 587 industrial property rights for engines, it exported machines and licences worldwide. 

Heinkel converted the He 70, originally developed as a commercial aircraft, for military purposes for the Luftwaffe, which was initially kept secret. As the production capacities in Rostock were not sufficient for the planned series production of the 32 He 111s, the Reich Aviation Ministry founded Heinkel-Werke GmbH in Oranienburg near Berlin in 1935. It held 97% of the shares, while Ernst Heinkel received the remainder for the planning and construction of the factory and the organisation of production. In addition to the He 111, the state-owned factory also produced the He 177 and Junkers Ju 88 (under licence). Despite state control, Heinkel retained far-reaching authority. Heinkel-Werke used thousands of forced labourers at locations such as Oranienburg and Mielec in the Krakow General Government, including concentration camp prisoners who had to work under abysmal conditions. The Mielec plant in particular was complicit in serious war crimes. The company was involved in the liquidation of the ghetto there, during which hundreds of Jewish victims were murdered by the factory guards and the SS. A forced labour camp for Jewish people was also set up on the factory premises. Shortly after the invasion of Poland, the Vereinigte Ostwerke GmbH division took over an existing aircraft factory in Mielec near Krakow in the Generalgouvernement on the 1st of October, 1939. Due to the advance of the Red Army, parts, machines and people from this factory were relocated to Bad Gandersheim in August 1944. 

After the United States joined the war in 1941, US bombers carried out targeted air raids on industrial plants, in particular to eliminate aircraft production facilities and gain air superiority. In contrast, British forces had until then mainly bombed large areas of cities at night, as flak and regular fighter aircrafts were less effective in the dark. For this reason, specially designed night fighters were used to intercept enemy bombers. This included the HE 219, whose fuselage was manufactured in Gandersheim beginning in October 1944. From 1943 onwards, numerous small external factories were built, which initially remained unknown to the Allies and could more easily compensate for a loss of production due to their small size. 

Due to differences of opinion with the armaments industry, Ernst Heinkel AG was formed in 1943, in which all Heinkel companies were merged, including plants in Rostock, Oranienburg, Stuttgart, Vienna, Waltersdorf and Jenbach as well as Miliec. Although Heinkel remained the owner, his direct influence was very limited and was restricted to the chairmanship of the supervisory board. 

Starting in 1950, Heinkel manufactured motor scooters, motormobiles and engines in Stuttgart before the company returned to Speyer with aircraft development as Ernst 

Heinkel Flugzeugbau. In 2000, Heinkel Fahrzeugbau merged with Heinkel Medizinsysteme to form Heinkel Modulbau GmbH, which today produces space modules and container buildings. Between 1959 and 1965, Heinkel was involved in the development of the EWR VJ 101 vertical take-off aircraft. In 1964, the company merged with Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW), which later became part of EADS. The plant in Speyer operated as PFW Aerospace AG until 2011, when Airbus became the majority shareholder again. 

Personnel Manager and Assistant  

Fritz Francke (01.07.1907 Soltau – ?) 

• Arrived on the 10th of August, 1944 during the relocation of the Heinkel works from Mielec to Bad Gandersheim 
• Was the personnel manager in Mielec 
• Assistant to the Brunshausen plant manager Erich Kleinemeyer and personnel manager 
• From the 26th of September, 1944 he was imprisoned for three months for anti-Nazi attitude and undermining military strength 
• Back at the Heinkel plant in Bad Gandersheim on the 1st of January, 1945 
• At the time of the executions of concentration camp prisoners in the forest near Clus he was not in Bad Gandersheim 
• Resident of Wolfenbüttel at the time of his testimony on the 8th of February, 1946 

Source: NLA WO 62 Nds Fb. 2 No. 15 

Employee

Richard Friemelt (29.02.1896 Breslau – ?) 



• Arrived in Brunshausen on the 21st of September, 1944 
• Worked at the Heinkel factory as a security guard 
• Assigned to the Volkssturm and involved in the construction of the roadblock near Brunshausen 
• Resided in Bad Gandersheim when he testified on the 3rd of November, 1952 

Source: NLA WO 62 Nds Fb. 2 No. 15 

He 219 



In April 1940, Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke GmbH submitted a project description (HE P 1055) for a multi-purpose aircraft to the Technical Office of the Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM). Intended as a fast bomber, it was also intended for use as a reconnaissance aircraft, destroyer or torpedo aircraft. The RLM initially rejected technical innovations: the nose wheel landing gear tried and tested on American aircraft, a manually operated tail stand and the ejection seat system as a seat catapult system, which made it possible for the pilot to leave the aircraft in an emergency even at increasingly high speeds. After inspecting a dummy aircraft on the 10th of January, 1941, the aircraft was given the type designation HE 219. The RLM repeatedly requested modifications and expressed equipment requirements for changing purposes. This jeopardised the planned series production. At the end of 1941, the RLM demanded the series production of a destroyer that could also be used as a night fighter. The HE 219 proposed months earlier seemed to fulfil the requirements. Heinkel-Werke received an extension order for the submitted design. After two months of development work, Heinkel presented a revised design of the HE 219 in two different versions (night fighter and destroyer). The first mock-ups could be inspected at the beginning of 1942. By February 1945, 140 production aircraft were to be delivered. 

Factory Manager in Bad Gandersheim
Erich Friedrich Kleinemeyer (23.09.1900 Bünde/Westphalia – ?) 



• Profession: Engineer 
• Factory manager in Mielec and defence officer (1942-1944) 
• Factory manager at the Heinkel factory in Bad Gandersheim 

Source: NLA WO 62 Nds Fb. 2 No. 15 

[Depicted is the first page of the letter written by Erich Kleinemeyer in the course of his denazification proceedings. The second paragraph contains references to Gandersheim.] 

Source: Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Landesarchiv NRW, Entnazifizierung Erich Kleinemeyer 

Resident in Brunshausen

Franz Latocki (04.09.1899 in Rehwald, Krs. Pr. Stargard – ?) 

• Lived in Brunshausen since 1944 
• Witnessed the establishment of the Buchenwald subcamp in Brunshausen (with the prisoners first housed in the church and then in the barracks) 
• He was in Wolperode on the 4th of April, 1945 (? also during the construction of the roadblock near Brunshausen) 
• Gave a statement on the 3rd of November, 1952 while being a resident in the former Brunshausen monastery 

Source: NLA WO 62 Nds Fb. 2 No. 15 

Employee

Anton Klima (02.01.1899 – ?)

• Arrived on the 7th of March, 1939 in Mielec, Poland, as factory maintenance manager 
• Arrived in August 1944 as factory maintenance manager as part of the relocation of the Heinkel works from Mielec, Poland, to Bad Gandersheim 
• Shared responsibility for the expansion of the church in Brunshausen as a camp until the barracks were completed, originally planned for 150 people 
• Resident in Bad Gandersheim at the time of his statements on the 8th of February, 1946 and 6th of September, 1947 

Source: NLA WO 62 Nds Fb. 2 No. 15 

Employee

 Georg Materne (14.06.1895 – ?) 

• Arrived in August 1944 during the relocation of the Heinkel-Werke from Mielec to Bad Gandersheim 
• Managed the clothing and weapons storage facilities of the Heinkel-Werke guards 
• At the time of his testimony on the 3rd of November, 1952 he was living in the barracks in Brunshausen 

Source: NLA WO 62 Nds Fb. 2 No. 15 

Employee

  Frank Mikulasch (28.08.1898 in Blauda, in former Czechoslovakia – ?) 



• Arrived in August 1944 as part of the relocation of the Heinkel works from Mielec to Bad Gandersheim 
• Employed as a security guard 
• Assigned to the Volkssturm on the 3rd of April, 1945 and involved in the construction of the roadblock near Brunshausen 
• At the time of his testimony on the 1st of November, 1952 he was living in the barracks in Brunshausen 

Source: NLA WO 62 Nds Fb. 2 No. 15 

Employee

  Friedrich Patzek (31.08.1907 in Kattowitz – ?) 



• Arrived in August 1944 during the relocation of the Heinkel works from Mielec to Bad Gandersheim 
• Employed as a locksmith 
• On the 2nd and 3rd of April, 1945 he was assigned to the Volkssturm and on the 4th of April, 1945 he was involved in the construction of the roadblock in Wolperode near Brunshausen 
• Resident in Bad Gandersheim at the time of his testimony on the 10th of November, 1952 

Source: NLA WO 62 Nds Fb. 2 No. 15 

Ejection Seat for the He 219

The Heinkel He 219's ejection seat was a groundbreaking innovation that enabled pilots to eject safely. Its development set new safety standards in aviation, but is also associated with a dark history: Concentration camp prisoners were exploited for testing, revealing the cruelty of the Nazi armaments industry. 

[Depicted is a reconstructed ejection seat.] 

Source: TECHNISCHES LANDESMUSEUM MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN 

Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke A.G., Rostock 

Circa 1942 / Height: 130 cm 

The production of fast aircrafts makes it almost impossible for pilots to free themselves from the aircraft and eject on their own in the event of danger. For this reason, Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke Rostock developed the world's first ejection seat in 1938. On the 13th of January, 1943, the test pilot Rudolph Schenk catapulted out of a Heinkel He 280. The first aircraft with a standard ejection seat was the night fighter He 219. 60 crew members were able to save themselves with the help of this emergency device during the Second World War. 

The ejection seats were initially tested by German engineers in Rostock and Rechlin. Later, prisoners from the Sachsenhausen concentration camp were forced to test the seats. There is no confirmed evidence of damage to health or victims. 

Source: https://www.landesmuseum-mv.de/exponate/schleudersitz-replik/ (accessed on the 8th of April, 2025)