April 11 - International Day for the liberation of prisoners of Nazi concentration camps

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At the entrance to the Buchenwald Memorial


Today, April 11, is a memorable date - International Day for the Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camp Prisoners. We are talking about the release of a large number of people who languished in Nazi torture chambers during the Second World War - in concentration camps, death camps, special prisons of the Gestapo, etc. The exact number of human lives that were carried away by the Nazis during the war in concentration camps is still being counted. This number is in the millions.



Why is the International Day for the Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camp Prisoners celebrated on April 11


This is due to the uprising raised by the prisoners in the Buchenwald concentration camp. When Nazi Germany was living out its last days, the prisoners of one of the largest camps in Germany were preparing to revolt and free themselves. Preparations for the uprising were carried out by an underground organization of prisoners.

Initially, the uprising was scheduled for April 1, 1945, but for a number of reasons it had to be postponed several times. In early April, Soviet prisoner of war Konstantin Leonov and Pole Guidon Damazin, who was an engineer by profession, attempted to get in touch with Soviet and American troops advancing through Germany. Leonov and Damazin tried to inform the allied troops that the camp administration was making attempts to completely destroy all the prisoners languishing there. After several unsuccessful attempts, as a result, on April 8, the radiogram reached the Americans.

From the command of the 3rd US Army in Buchenwald, we received a response that the detachments rushed to the rescue.

On April 11, 1945, an organized uprising began. The prisoners managed to take control of the towers, destroy several guards, enter the commandant's office and ultimately take up a perimeter defense. Historians still argue about the exact number of prisoners who died during the uprising in Buchenwald.

On the same day - April 11 - American troops entered the concentration camp, which ultimately marked the release of all surviving prisoners.

It is noteworthy that if some Nazi criminals who were directly related to the functioning of Buchenwald were executed on the basis of the decision of the tribunal, others managed to escape responsibility. So, Erich Gust, Schutzhaftlagerfuehrer Buchenwald, managed to hide and live to old age (died in 1992) on the territory of Germany itself. And Heinrich Plaza, a doctor who set up unthinkable experiments on prisoners, continued to live in German territory (in the Federal Republic of Germany) after the war and practice medicine ...

Eternal memory to all those who died in concentration camps at the hands of Nazi criminals and did not wait for the Victory.
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    1. +9
      April 11 2021 08: 02
      Everlasting memory.
      1. +3
        April 11 2021 12: 31
        In general, about 20 million people died in the Nazi-Nazi death camps, of which 5 million were citizens of the USSR.
        And this is far from a complete calculation.

        And of the surviving ADULTS prisoners of Nazi camps during the Second World War and WWII, there is now no one alive who could now tell live about what happened to them then.
        However, some of the prisoners of the Nazi death camps are still alive, who in those years were in the camp dungeons as CHILDREN. And they are not silent, but gradually they also leave life.

    2. +8
      April 11 2021 08: 03
      Read, understand ...
    3. +7
      April 11 2021 08: 17

      The statistics are simply terrifying - over the years during which the Second World War was going on, 20 million people were captured in concentration camps. Exceptions were not made for anyone, the prisoners were both children and old people. More than 11 million people died before liberation. 5 million of them were Soviet citizens.
    4. +5
      April 11 2021 08: 19
      Terrible date. A reminder of how "civilized" a civilized Europe can be ... New Zealand cannibals nervously smoke on the sidelines.
      1. 0
        April 11 2021 08: 51
        Since then, both Europe and the United States have become even more "civilized".
        Confirming this is dazzling ...
        At least the rejection of an effective Russian vaccine to the detriment of the lives of its citizens!
        Well, who are they after that, if not the successors of the deeds of Dr. Mengele? am
    5. +4
      April 11 2021 08: 47
      Nobody is forgotten, nothing is forgotten! We remember. ...
    6. +4
      April 11 2021 08: 48
      Eternal memory to the victims, and eternal remember to the living ...
      I once had an invaluable experience of communicating with a woman - a former prisoner of a concentration camp in Germany. What a woman! 89 years old. Cheerful, sociable, cheerful ... Surprisingly, people went through this ... but vitality remained in them, optimism and love for people remained.
      After everything you've seen, it's just a shame to despair and be discouraged by any small and insignificant problems ...
    7. +1
      April 11 2021 09: 43
      And who really liberated, at the cost of the lives of soldiers, is somehow kept quiet in the "world community" .. That's what a shame! angry
      I remember in Poland, events on this occasion were invited by many countries to honor the memory, etc. And Russia did not even deign to invite, here it is gratitude to the Russian soldier for everything .. Eh Europe, again you step on the old rake and support the Nazis on the sly, in spite of Russia .. Well, well, we all remember soldier
      1. +2
        April 11 2021 09: 49
        Quote: xorek
        Well, well, we all remember

        Dear Meehan forgot to say that only our memory is short. In the end, we forgive everyone, even betrayal.
        1. +1
          April 11 2021 10: 47
          Quote: Volodin
          In the end, we forgive everyone, even betrayal.

          Here you are right Alexey .. Russia is a kind soul, but for the time being hi

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