The establishment
of the Majdanek camp was associated with plans of Germanization of areas of Eastern
Europe. According to these plans, Majdanek was supposed to be a source of
labor. It was intended for prisoners of various nationalities, the most numerous
group of prisoners were Jews. The Majdanek camp was different from Belzec and
Sobibor in many ways.
The organization of the camp
Majdanek
camp consisted of six divisions:- Komendantura
(Kommandantur)
- Branch of political (Politische
Abteilung)
- Branch
of prisoner (Schutzhaftlagerführung)
- Branch of administration -
economic (Verwaltung)
- Physician
camp (Lagerarzt)
- Branch of cultural - SS
training (Fürsorge-,Schulung- und Truppenbetreuung)
Marking of
prisoners
After crossing the gate of the camp inmates were assigned a number, which was to replace the name and category of prisoner. The prisoner had the duty to learn to their number in the German language. He had it on the left breast and thigh on the right leg. Beisdes the number each prisoner was required to sew the triangle of a specified color, which meant the category of prisoner. At its center there was the first letter of the country from which the prisoner came (in German).
The living
conditions
The living
conditions were very bad. Organisms to extreme exhaustion occurred as a result
of poor food and over-work. Prisoners receive three meals a day containing a
total of less than 1000 calories. The
big problem was the density of the prisoners on a fairly small area. Prisoners
were placement in stable barracks. For each allocated 250 - 500 people. Separate
barracks were designated for Jews. High density contributed to the occurrence
of diseases that literally decimated the prisoners. Especially popular were
epidemics of typhus, which was spread by lice.
Number of
victims
According to
the latest research conducted by historians from the Museum at Majdanek, it can
be assumed that during the operation of the camp in years 1941 - 1944 died or
were murdered at least 80 thousand. prisoners of various nationalities. Of
this number, approximately 60 thousand. were Jews.
