It’s well-known that, during WWII, German Nazis exterminated millions of people by various ways on their way to internment or while imprisoned in concentration camps, labor camps, and death camps. But who were these people, and how did they die?
Victims of Concentration Camps - Jews
One of the most targeted groups of people was Jews – either members of the Jewish faith or those who were Jewish by descent. In addition, people who were thought to be Jewish, such as prisoners-of-war, were also sent to camps. Of all groups, the number of Jews who perished at Nazi hands is the highest. A majority of concentration camps were located in Poland because of Poland’s large Jewish population.
Victims of Concentration Camps - Roma or Gypsies
The Roma population of Europe was also targeted for extermination. These nomadic people, without written language and without a secure place in society, were taken by Nazis. The number of Roma who were extinguished during WWII is less certain than that of other groups because of lack of accurate data; the Roma population even today is still only estimated. The estimated numbers of Roma who were killed during WWII range from a couple of hundred thousand to 1.5 million.
Victims of Concentration Camps - Prisoners of War
Soviets, Poles, and Western Allies who were captured as prisoners-of-war were sent to Nazi concentration camps. Soviet POWs taken by the Nazis were treated with as much brutality as Nazi POWs taken by the Soviets. Neither suffered a kind fate; many were worked, marched, and starved to death before they made it to labor or concentration camps in the territories of their enemies.
Victims of Concentration Camps - Homosexuals
Gay men and lesbian women were sent to concentration camps. When Hitler rose to power, gay organizations in Germany were banned and lists of known homosexuals were made. While some homosexuals were sent to regular prisons, others were sent to concentration camps.
Victims of Concentration Camps - Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses were persecuted during WWII because of their refusal to adhere to Nazi policies and their anti-military actions (such as refusing compulsory military service). As in the case of homosexuals, rosters of Jehovah’s Witnesses were compiled and then used for extermination purposes.
Victims of Concentration Camps - Communists
Communist party members and Communist sympathizers were sent to concentration camps for being anti-Nazi. After the war, anti-Communists were held in some of the same prisons.
Victims of Concentration Camps - Criminals
Criminals were considered among societies “undesirables” and thus imprisoned in camps by Nazis.
Victims of Concentration Camps - Elderly, Disabled, and Mentally Ill
Another group of “undesirables,” these individuals interfered with the ultimate Nazi goal of “racial purity.”
The ways in which members of these various Nazi-targeted groups perished were numerous. While some were sent directly to death camps to be silenced in gas chambers, others were worked to death. Some died because of starvation or exposure. Others were shot, tortured, or experimented on. Disease ran rampant through camps lacking hygienic conditions, because of cramped quarters, and because prisoners were fatigued and malnourished.
Kerry Kubilius - A graduate of Ohio State University, Kerry has a BA in Russian and a BA in History of Art with a focus on Eastern European art. She also ...
