Unidentified German Concentration Camp Liberated by the U.S. Army, April 20, 1945

Image shows a small building with barbed wire fencing around it. It is an image of a concentration camp in Germany.

Courtesy of Library of Congress, "[View of unidentified German concentration camp at time of liberation by U.S. Army]," 20 April 1945

Description

This photograph captures an unidentified German concentration camp at the time of liberation by the U.S. Army on April 20, 1945. The photo shows a small building with barbed wire fencing around it. These camps, which were located all over German-occupied Europe, contained large numbers of people — particularly Jews and other persecuted minorities — in deplorable conditions. Prisoners were expected to provide forced labor and many awaited mass execution. The most infamous Nazi concentration camps included Dachau, Belsen and Auschwitz.

Source-Dependent Questions

Describe what what you see in this photo.
Describe the methods used to keep the prisoners inside of the concentration camp.
For what purposes might the buildings have been used?
Compare this photo to Czech Survivor of a Nazi Concentration Camp, which shows the interior of a building at a concentration camp. What is similar between the photos? What is different?

Citation Information

"[View of unidentified German concentration camp at time of liberation by U.S. Army]," 20 April 1945. Courtesy of Library of Congress