Ravensbruck (WWII Nazi Concentration Camp)

 memorial, Second World War 1939-1945, place with historical importance, concentration camp, closed, historic landmark, women's prison

The Nazi German women's concentration camp's construction started in late 1938 at Ravensbrück, a village near Fürstenberg - Havel. Operations began in 1939. A small men's camp was attached in 1941.

Around 90,000 of the over 130,000 unfortunate deportees were killed ---either here or as a result of later transport to be gassed at the Auschwitz II death camp. Dozens of women were used as human guinea pigs in medical experiments (the subjects were nicknamed "rabbit girls" by camp staff).


www.youtube.com/watch?v=C40Pyi-MsPE&feature=related

As the Red Army approached in 1945, staff transferred around 7,000 people to Red Cross custody. The camp staff hastily removed around 20,000 able-bodied women on a death march to lands north of Mecklenburg. Left at the camp to meet the liberating Soviets were the most frail 3,500 or so (plus a couple hundred men).