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Taryn Coles
Mr. Hawkins
Modern World History-P, Period 6
8th April, 2016
The Expansion of the Concentration Camp System
About 20,000 concentration camps were built across Europe during World War II and the
Holocaust. The concentration camp system changed drastically from 1933 to 1939. Many groups
of people were sent to these camps including Jews, gypsies, those who were physically or
mentally ill, homosexual males, and Jehovahs Witnesses. There were five different forms of
these camps from labor camps to death camps (a.k.a. extermination camps or killing centers).
The camps grew and expanded throughout the six years they were operated. Hitlers
concentration camp system grew steadily starting with holding camps, then experimenting with
medical testing and labor camps, and eventually death or extermination camps.
The concentration camp system first started with concentration camps for holding
prisoners. In 1933, The first concentration camps in Germany were established soon after
Hitlers appointment as chancellor in January (Website #1). The first concentration camp to
go to construction was Dachau, while Oranienburg was being planned. The Gestapo got to
decide where the camps would be built. In 1939, the beginning of World War II about 25,000
people are in concentration camps (Website #2). Most of these people being threats to Hitler in
the beginning. Afterwards, it escalated to anyone interfering with Hitlers Aryan race. In
summary, from 1933 to 1936, [concentration camps] were used for incarcerating political

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adversaries and others. In 1936, operational responsibility for the camps was consolidated
under the SS and the camp universe expanded incrementally. In 1941 to 1942, the major killing
centers came on line A series of labor camps were created in direct response to the impact of
the war and Germany's growing need for workers. In 1944 to 1945, the concentration camps
were dismantled and evacuated ahead of the Allied advances and any remaining prisoners were
brought back to Germany - which had already become Judenrein - on foot in what became
known as death marches (Website #3). Those others being incarcerated included trade unionists,
political dissidents, and communists. A few major killing centers on the line were Chelmno,
Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Majdanek. The holding camps then began forced labor on the
prisoners.
Later on some camps were used for medical testing. Beginning in 1939, A series
of labor camps were created in direct response to the impact of the war and Germany's growing
need for workers (Website #3). Because many men were out at war, there was no one to do their
so the people held in camps had to. An example of the work they had to do was working in
different factories. Beginning around 1934, concentration camp commandants used prisoners as
forced laborers for SS construction projects such as the construction or expansion of the camps
themselves (Website #2). So, not only did the work include working in factories or the fields, it
also included expanding the camps they were being held in. Sometimes it wasnt even expanding
the camps they were in. Theyd be taken to other camps to expand or even begin new camps.
Late in 1941, hundreds of Soviet prisoners of war are murdered during test gassings with
Zyklon B in Block II (Bunker). Zyclon B was a cyanide based gas that was first tested at
Auschwitz. This gas was later used at death camps. Labor camps developed into death camps
soon after.

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Death camps were final part of Nazi concentration camps. In 1942, the German
authorities constructed gas chambers for use to kill people at several of the concentration camps
(Website #1). The death camp program began with annihilation through work and quickly
escalated to gas chambers. Like previously stated, the gas used in these chambers were Zyclon B,
a cyanide based gas. November, 1941,Theresienstadtis established. It becomes the transit
station on the way to the extermination camps (Website #2). It was used mostly for transporting
Jews from Bohemia, Moravia, and Germany. There were other transit stations as well. After the
gassings occurred, If anyone was left alive, he was beaten to death (Website #3). This would
be done by the Sonderkommando who were help at the camps. This would take place so no
known survivors would be able to escape after gassings. Ending with death camps, the
concentration camp system expanded quickly and harshly.
The concentration camp system grew starting with holding camps, then to labor camps,
and finishing with death camps. It is important to learn about the concentration camp system so
history is repeated. Many lives were lost due to the ethnicity to their lifestyle. These people were
forced to leave their families, live in unsanitary conditions, and work hard labor, until they were
sent away pass on in a painful way.