Liszt Phillip's Photos, page 6 Buchenwald Concentration Camp A hastily lettered sign Saturday, June 10, 1945 members of the 275th visited the concentration camp on the outskirts of Weimar, Buchenwald. Tours of the camps were ordered by General Eisenhower for soldiers and local civilians to insure that the world was fully aware of the horrors that had been inflicted upon humanity at the hands of the Nazis. The trip to Weimar from the battalion's positions near Oberroblinges , Germany covered approximately 35 miles, which took about an hour. From July 16, 1937 until April 11, 1945 on Ettersberg hill overlooking Weimar stood Konzentrationslager Buchenwald. Of the approximately 238,000 people interned here over 65,000 prisoners lost their lives. This historic city southeast of Leipzig, with a rich cultural tradition had been home to the composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who penned the operas, "Faust" and "William Tell" and poet Friedrich von Schiller, author of "Ode to Joy" made famous the world over by the final movement of Beethoven's ninth symphony. The city's history is now ever stained by the cruel treatment of thousands in this infamous prison. Soldiers of the 275th and the world were shocked at what was found after this prison was liberated by the units of General George Patton's 3rd US Army.The German word Buchenwald means beech tree forest. The name brings visions of beauty, but beauty was left at the gatehouse. Scenes from the Concentration Camp June 10, 1945 The gatehouse Barracks Prison grounds stark and grim A sign forged into the iron gate which lead into the concentration camp through the gatehouse reads "Jedem Das Seine" meaning "To Each His Own" The sign can only be read from inside the camp. Cramped , bunks with no fires, no blankets and sometimes no food Scaffolds The infamous ovens The ornate Bismarck Tower located on the grounds of the prison was blown up by the Russians in 1949. (Otto von Bismarck, the "Iron Chancellor" was responsible for uniting the German states into one country in 1871.) This is now the site of the Buchenwald monument.* The empty urns above intended to be used to hold the remains of cremated prisoners. *(The Glockenturm - Bell Tower) consists of a tower, 50 meters high, with a bell on top and a statue of the anti-fascist resistance fighters in front of it to honor the Communist prisoners of Buchenwald. When the Bismarck Tower was blown up, the Russians found 1,286 urns full of ashes in its basement. There are four hand-painted signs (banners) in this photo. The one on top-left says: "Honor and glory to the representatives of the free and democratic Poland!" The top-right one says: "One nation - one country. London is for all." (I suppose this is in reference to Poland's government-in-exile established in London during the war.) The two signs on the bottom say one and the same thing, the left one in German, and the right one in Polish: "We the Upper-Silesians are preparing for a return to the homeland and for the destruction of fascism." The last sign is accompanied by an awkward drawing depicting two men breaking up a swastika. Our special thanks to Kenneth R. Kellum, Ph.D., San Jose State University and Wlodek Kuperberg, Ph.D., Auburn University for their help in translating the signs. Dr. Kuperberg for his translation and description; Dr. Kellum for locating Dr. Kuperberg. After the war Buchenwald was used as internment camp by the Soviet occupying forces until 1950. In 1958, the Buchenwald Memorial was opened as a national museum memorial, and is maintained as a place of remembrance, for the crimes committed here both during the war and after and for the victims of those crimes to commemorate the many lives taken at the hands of the Nazis and the Communists. Photos courtesy of: Phillip Millspaugh Return to Photo Index DeLoyd Cooper is the Historian for the 275th Armored Field Artillery Battalion Association. dcooper1924@comcast.net Copyright ©1999, 2000, 2006 DeLoyd Cooper. All rights reserved. Revised: October 8, 2006
Phillip's Photos, page 6
Saturday, June 10, 1945 members of the 275th visited the concentration camp on the outskirts of Weimar, Buchenwald. Tours of the camps were ordered by General Eisenhower for soldiers and local civilians to insure that the world was fully aware of the horrors that had been inflicted upon humanity at the hands of the Nazis. The trip to Weimar from the battalion's positions near Oberroblinges , Germany covered approximately 35 miles, which took about an hour.
From July 16, 1937 until April 11, 1945 on Ettersberg hill overlooking Weimar stood Konzentrationslager Buchenwald. Of the approximately 238,000 people interned here over 65,000 prisoners lost their lives.
This historic city southeast of Leipzig, with a rich cultural tradition had been home to the composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who penned the operas, "Faust" and "William Tell" and poet Friedrich von Schiller, author of "Ode to Joy" made famous the world over by the final movement of Beethoven's ninth symphony.
The city's history is now ever stained by the cruel treatment of thousands in this infamous prison. Soldiers of the 275th and the world were shocked at what was found after this prison was liberated by the units of General George Patton's 3rd US Army.
The German word Buchenwald means beech tree forest. The name brings visions of beauty, but beauty was left at the gatehouse.
Barracks
A sign forged into the iron gate which lead into the concentration camp through the gatehouse reads "Jedem Das Seine" meaning "To Each His Own" The sign can only be read from inside the camp.
The infamous ovens
The ornate Bismarck Tower located on the grounds of the prison was blown up by the Russians in 1949. (Otto von Bismarck, the "Iron Chancellor" was responsible for uniting the German states into one country in 1871.) This is now the site of the Buchenwald monument.*
The empty urns above intended to be used to hold the remains of cremated prisoners.
*(The Glockenturm - Bell Tower) consists of a tower, 50 meters high, with a bell on top and a statue of the anti-fascist resistance fighters in front of it to honor the Communist prisoners of Buchenwald. When the Bismarck Tower was blown up, the Russians found 1,286 urns full of ashes in its basement.
There are four hand-painted signs (banners) in this photo. The one on top-left says: "Honor and glory to the representatives of the free and democratic Poland!" The top-right one says: "One nation - one country. London is for all." (I suppose this is in reference to Poland's government-in-exile established in London during the war.) The two signs on the bottom say one and the same thing, the left one in German, and the right one in Polish: "We the Upper-Silesians are preparing for a return to the homeland and for the destruction of fascism." The last sign is accompanied by an awkward drawing depicting two men breaking up a swastika.
Our special thanks to Kenneth R. Kellum, Ph.D., San Jose State University and Wlodek Kuperberg, Ph.D., Auburn University for their help in translating the signs. Dr. Kuperberg for his translation and description; Dr. Kellum for locating Dr. Kuperberg.
After the war Buchenwald was used as internment camp by the Soviet occupying forces until 1950.
In 1958, the Buchenwald Memorial was opened as a national museum memorial, and is maintained as a place of remembrance, for the crimes committed here both during the war and after and for the victims of those crimes to commemorate the many lives taken at the hands of the Nazis and the Communists.
Photos courtesy of:
Return to Photo Index