Nazi SS Captures and Persecution

Capture by the SS

• SS officers broke into homes to capture "undesirables" in Nazi-occupied territories.
• Families were dragged into the streets, forced into military vehicles.
• Escape attempts were met with the threat of death.
• Those captured potentially faced horrors in Nazi concentration camps.

Reasons for Capture

• Being Jewish was a primary reason for persecution.
• Association with anti-Nazi groups led to capture.
• "Undesirables" like the homeless, homosexuals, or those with mental illness were targeted.
• Mass arrests resulted in the capture of innocent people.
• Religious beliefs, such as those of Jehovah's Witnesses, could lead to imprisonment.

The Journey to the Camp

• The journey was designed to strip away humanity, instill fear, and shame.
• Prisoners were loaded into overcrowded vehicles (trains or trucks) with very little space.
• They were denied water, food, and basic sanitation.
• Journeys could take days, filled with suffering and uncertainty.
• Families were often separated during transport, with little hope of reunion.
• The destination was kept secret, increasing fear and disorientation.

Transport Conditions and Death En Route

• Transport conditions were lethal due to overcrowding, lack of food and water, and poor sanitation.
• Many prisoners died en route from dehydration, starvation, suffocation, or disease.

Arrival at the Camp

• Upon arrival, prisoners were divided into groups of men and women with children.
• SS guards conducted a macabre welcome by asking for age, occupation, and health condition.
• Prisoners deemed fit for work were sent to one side, while others were sent to immediate execution.
• Those deemed "unfit for work" were often sent to the gas chambers.

Dehumanization Process

• Segregation of Jewish prisoners and those deemed unworthy occurred.
• Prisoners were forced to strip of all belongings, symbolizing the erasure of their past lives.
• Valuables and personal items were confiscated.

Registration

• Prisoners were given a prison number that replaced their name.
• Male Jews previously forced to add "Israel" and female Jews "Sarah" were stripped of their names.
• Numbers were sometimes stitched onto prison uniforms or tattooed on arms.

Stripping and Shaving

• Prisoners were forced to undress in front of guards and other prisoners.
• Heads were shaved regardless of gender.
• Prisoners were forced to shower in groups while being watched.

Camp Hierarchy

• The camp was led by a Lagerkommandant (camp commander) and junior officers.
• Male and female wardens oversaw the prisoners.
• Prisoner-supervisors or Kapos were in charge of other prisoners.
• Prisoners were assigned colored triangle badges to identify the reason for their imprisonment.

Living Conditions

• Barracks were designed to hold fewer people than were crammed inside.
• Overcrowding led to multiple prisoners sharing tiny bunks.
• Some prisoners had to sleep in tents or damp tunnels.
• Straw mattresses were rarely replaced and were often infested with lice and ticks.
• Lice, rats, and other vermin facilitated the spread of diseases.
• Heating was inadequate, and sanitation facilities were overflowing.

Food

• Meager rations consisted of watery soup, stale bread, and occasionally a small piece of sausage or cheese.
• The struggle for even the smallest scraps of food became a daily trial.

Work

• Prisoners were forced to work up to 14 hours per day, performing tasks like construction, quarrying, or factory work.
• They were beaten by wardens or Kapos for moving too slowly or without permission.

Disease

• Basic medical attention was denied, leading to the spread of diseases.
• Typhus, dysentery, and tuberculosis were common and deadly.

Mental State

• Constant fear, loss of loved ones, and physical hardship led to depression, hopelessness, and despair.

Daily Life: The Appel

• Daily life began with the Appel, a morning and evening lineup.
• Prisoners were awakened between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. by a loud gong and yelling Kapos.
• Bodies of those who did not survive the night were often ignored.

Bettenbau (Bed-Making)

• Prisoners were expected to make their beds following strict rules.
• Failure often resulted in beatings, sometimes to death.

Breakfast

• Breakfast consisted of stale bread with watered-down tea or coffee.
• On good days, a thin slice of sausage or margarine was provided.
• Kapos sometimes threw bread in the mud or spilled coffee as an act of wickedness.

Appellplatz (Roll Call)

• Every prisoner was required to assemble for the morning roll call.
• Prisoners stood in rigid rows and were meticulously counted.
• Any movement was met with swift and brutal punishment.
• The counting process could take hours.

Work Details

• After roll call, prisoners were marched off to work sites on foot.
• They were forced to sing degrading songs for the guards' amusement.
• Falling behind meant risking severe punishment.

Additional Notes:

• A noon roll call was added to the schedule.
• The schedule required the tally to be completed in the hot sun after a grueling day of work.
• German soldiers started having lunch delivered sites to increase work completed.
• Prisoners were often released at 5 or 6 p.m, or dusk, only to repeat everything the next day.
• After work, prisoners are marched back to camp for the final roll call.
• Prisoners deceased during the day were carried back to participate in the evening roll call.
• Roll call inaccuracies and discrepancies in prisoner counts could make the process take hours.
• Roll calls were sometimes intentionally drawn out as a form of punishment.
• Prisoners who survived the day without collapsing or facing punishment received a meager dinner, such as thin vegetable soup.
• In some camps, dinner was a luxury, and prisoners went straight to the barracks after labor.
• Prisoners bartered with each other during free time in the barracks, trading items they needed.
• After dinner, prisoners were expected to return to their barracks; lights out was typically by 9 p.m., but sometimes later.
• Leaving the barrack at night was strictly prohibited, with Blockfuehrers and guards patrolling.
• Blockfuehrers, also called Death Heads, wore green triangles and could decide a prisoner's fate for being outside the barracks during bedtime.
• Retreating to the barracks meant surviving the day, but facing the same ordeal the next day.
• Lack of medical facilities meant falling sick often led to death.
• Sick bays or infirmaries were often inadequate, lacking essential resources.
• In some camps, fellow inmates ran the sick bays, but rampant diseases, horrid conditions, and shortages made their efforts futile.
• Infirmaries were in old buildings with no water, plumbing, or electricity other than natural light.
• Dirty cots with repugnant straw mattresses covered in pus and blood were common.
• Each mattress often held two or more sick people, sometimes skeletal, covered in lice, scabies, or boils, or completely naked.
• During disease outbreaks, multiple sick people shared a single mattress.
• Prisoners held onto hope and tried to maintain cultural and religious activities.
• Some prisoners kept journals detailing their experiences, writing about degrading conditions on scraps of paper.
• Others created artwork or jewelry from copper wire.
• These works served as testimonials to life in concentration camps and reminders of human resilience.
• Prisoners found solace in faith, traditions, and artistic expressions to keep their spirits alive.
• Life in Nazi concentration camps was a routine nightmare, with basic rights stolen.
• Prisoners' daily struggle was marked by brutality, dehumanizing routines, and the constant fear of punishment or death.
• Despite the darkness, prisoners displayed strength and humanity.
• Artworks and writings helped retain identities and humanity.
• These stories show the human spirit's ability to endure extreme circumstances, plus the power of hope in bleak times.
• Prisoners endured a living nightmare until rescued by Allied forces.
• Liberation marked the end of shocking cruelty, loss, and trauma, offering hope for a better life.
• The Holocaust's legacy reminds future generations of the consequences of hatred and inhumanity.
• Post-liberation, survivors faced rebuilding their lives, dealing with trauma, and seeking justice.

Explore the harrowing captures by SS officers in Nazi-occupied territories. Discover the reasons for persecution, including being Jewish, associating with anti-Nazi groups, or being deemed 'undesirable'. Learn about the dehumanizing journey to Nazi concentration camps.