Nazi Concentration Camps: The Reality and Legality Before and During World War II
Nazi Concentration Camps: The Reality and Legality Before and During World War II
The Nazi concentration camps, which are often associated with the mass persecution and extermination of Jews, actually had a different genesis. The very first concentration camps were established long before the invasion of Poland in 1939, primarily for the arrest and imprisonment of people deemed politically unreliable. This article delves into the early history of these camps, focusing on the initial victims and the timeline of their establishment.
Early Establishment of Concentration Camps
The first concentration camp in Germany was Dachau, which opened on March 22, 1933, just a few months after the Nazi Party took power. Initially, the camp was designed for the incarceration of political prisoners and other so-called enemies of the state. According to historical sources, the press at the time stated: “prisoners who endanger state security are to be concentrated there as the long-term internment of individual functionaries in state prisons is not possible due to prison overburdening
The First Victims: German Disabled People and Sorbs
Although the concentration camps are often closely connected with the Holocaust and the mass extermination of Jews, the first victims did not belong to any Jewish group. Instead, the victims were German disabled people and Sorbs, who were considered culturally inferior by the Nazis. The Sorbs, being Slavs, faced particular discrimination. In the early stages, many Sorbs who refused to enlist as Volksdeutsch (ethnic Germans) were sent to concentration camps. This act of discrimination is often overlooked and represents one of the sadder chapters in early Nazi concentration camp history.
Polish Invasion and the Expansion of Concentration Camps
The invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany occurred in 1939, marking the beginning of World War II. By this time, the concentration camps had already been in operation for several years and their initial purpose had expanded. Dachau, which had been operational since 1933, served initially as a political imprisonment facility. Subsequent concentration camps, such as Sachsenhausen and Buchenwald, were also established prior to the invasion of Poland.
Early Victims in Concentration Camps
Even before the outbreak of World War II, the concentration camps were used to incarcerate and, in some cases, to persecute people. The case of Hilarius Gilges in Dortmund is a stark example. Gilges was a black man who was actively anti-Fascist. His arrest and subsequent incarceration were part of the broader campaigns against political dissidents and ethnic minorities. Other victims included political opponents and even Germans who posed a potential threat to state security.
Developments During World War II
Once World War II began, the conditions in the concentration camps worsened significantly. The brutal and ruthless nature of the Nazi regime became evident in the treatment of prisoners. The expansion of the camps and the increase in atrocities marked a significant shift in the nature of the camps from mere imprisonment to a system of extermination and labor.
The Polish invasion, while it marked the beginning of the war, did not initiate the concentration camp system itself. The first camps were already operational and the full scale of horrific treatment was well underway. By the time of the invasion, the concentration camps had evolved into instruments of oppression, abuse, and ultimately, mass extermination.
Conclusion
The early history of Nazi concentration camps is often overshadowed by the well-documented horrors of the Holocaust during World War II. However, it is crucial to recognize that the camps were established long before the war and were initially used for the persecution and imprisonment of German citizens, including disabled individuals and ethnic groups like the Sorbs. The expansion and evolution of these camps during the war led to the horrific events that defined the Holocaust.
Understanding the roots of these concentration camps provides a clearer view of the Nazi regime’s intentions and actions. It also underscores the importance of studying historical events in their full context to avoid forgetting the lessons of the past.