A couple of facts about Bergen – Belsen:
- Originally, it was a prisoner of war camp. Near the end of World War II, it expanded into a concentration camp.
- More than 100.000 people died here.
- There were no gas chambers in this camp; most people died from illness, starvation or exhaustion.
- Not only Jews ended up here, but also intellectuals, everyone who was against the Nazi regime, homosexuals and gypsies.
All of the buildings were destroyed during and after the liberation of the camp. Still, there is a heavy atmosphere; it is as if the ghosts from the past haven’t left the place yet…
Because there are still traces. When you are at the entrance for instance, you can see some lovely hills further away. Upon closer inspection, they turn out to be mass graves.
And there are graves and memorials with touching inscriptions. The most famous one is that of Anne and Margot Frank…
Entrance to the camp is free; you have to pay a small fee for the exhibition area.
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