Bergen-Belsen concentration camp facts for kids

Bergen-Belsen was a very sad place in Germany during World War II. It was a Nazi concentration camp. Many people were held there against their will. An estimated 50,000 prisoners died there. Also, 20,000 Soviet prisoners of war (POWs) died there. Up to 35,000 of them died from a serious illness called typhus just before and after the camp was freed.

The camp was freed on April 15, 1945, by British soldiers. Inside the camp, the British soldiers found 60,000 people. They also found 13,000 dead bodies lying on the ground. The things they saw were very shocking.

What Was Bergen-Belsen?

Bergen-Belsen started as a prisoner of war camp. This was in 1940. Later, it became a concentration camp. The Nazis used these camps to hold people they did not like. These included Jewish people, Roma people, and political opponents.

Life in the camp was extremely hard. Prisoners did not have enough food. They had very little water. Many became sick because of the poor conditions. Diseases like typhus spread quickly. This was due to the lack of hygiene and medical care.

The Camp is Freed

When British soldiers arrived, they found terrible scenes. Many prisoners were very ill. Thousands of bodies were unburied. The soldiers immediately began helping the survivors. They brought in food, water, and medical supplies.

It took a lot of effort to care for everyone. Doctors and nurses worked tirelessly. They tried to save as many lives as possible. Sadly, many people were too sick to recover. Even after being freed, thousands more died. This was due to the severe conditions they had suffered.

The British soldiers also made German citizens from nearby towns help. They had to bury the dead. This showed them the horrors that had happened.

Remembering Bergen-Belsen

Today, Bergen-Belsen is a memorial site. People visit it to remember those who died. It teaches us about the terrible things that happened. It reminds us to work for peace. It also reminds us to respect everyone.

There are memorials for different groups of victims. These include Jewish people and Soviet POWs. There is also a memorial for Anne Frank. She was a young girl who wrote a famous diary. She died at Bergen-Belsen.

Photo gallery

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  Women survivors in Bergen-Belsen, April 1945

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  A crowd watches the last camp hut be destroyed

Images for kids

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  Memorial to Soviet prisoners of war

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  Bergen Belsen crematorium in April 1945

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  British and German officers finalize the arrangements for the ending of their temporary truce, April 1945

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  Some of the 60 tables, each staffed by two German doctors and two German nurses, at which the sick were washed and deloused, May 1–4, 1945

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  Memorial on the ramp where prisoners arrived

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  Memorial for Margot and Anne Frank at the Bergen-Belsen site

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  One of several mass graves on the site of the former camp; the sign simply reads: '"Here lie 5,000 dead. April 1945"

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  The Jewish Memorial at the site of the former camp, decorated with wreaths on Liberation Day, April 15, 2012

See also

In Spanish: Bergen-Belsen para niños