The very purpose of concentration camps under the Nazis was for the oppression and persecution of people who were considered undesirable by the Nazi regime on racial, political and religious grounds. Hundreds of thousands of victims were confined to concentration camps because they were simply Jews, Slavs Gypsies, Social Democrats or Communists. They were not tried for any offence or sentenced by a court, not even a Nazi court.

Hitler’s final policies on concentration camps were defined at the 1942 Wannsee conference, which clearly outlined the implementation of what was called the Wannsee protocol. The many Death camps were the physical proof of the Protocol, which defined the ‘Final Solution’.

The effect Concentration camps had on the people was horrific; prisoners were forced into slave labour and were repeatedly punished for minor offences. Illness and diseases were frequent due to inadequate nutrition, lack of warm clothing and insufficient sanitary facilities. Prisoners suffered from injuries resulting in death caused by accidents. Work was carried out through intimidation, blows and other punishment measures by the SS guards. There were food shortages and prisoners suffered harsh discipline and torture. “People were treated in such an inhumane manner, it is unimaginable the hardship we faced. There were times when we wondered whether we would ever be happy again, or whether Auschwitz, scene of so much death, was immortal and would live in our minds until we, too, died - and then live on to haunt those who understood"... Rudolf Verba . People who survived the horrendous ordeal of life in a Concentration camp have been scared for life.

This mass genocide, which took place at the Concentration camps, was kept largely secret from the German people, and from Germany’s enemies. “There were whispers of horrors taking place but under the rigorous barrage of wartime propaganda we quickly learned not to ask too many questions.”…Inge Weiss .

Some topics in this essay:
Sachsenhausen Living, , Chancellor Germany, Nazi Government, Obergruppenführer Heydrich, Verba People, Democrats Communists, Democratic Government, Communists Slavs, concentration camps, Adolf Hitler, german people, final solution, ‘final solution’, chancellor germany, wannsee conference, mass genocide, political opposition, camps usually, concentration camp,