HIST 205 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Asteroid Family, Majdanek Concentration Camp
Document Summary
The maidanek camp was established by the nazis in 1941 soon after their conquest of the then russian occupied region of poland. The primary purpose of the facility was the speedy extermination of new arrivals (mostly jews) transported in from various countries including czechoslovakia, france, austria, and holland. The majority of victims, however, came from the immediate area. It is estimated that 1. 5 million died at the camp during its three years of operation. Soviet troops entered the camp in july 1944. A week later, alexander werth joined a group of fellow reporters in a guided tour of the facility: "my first reaction to maidanek was a feeling of surprise. I had imagined something horrible and sinister beyond words. "is that it?" was my first reaction when we stopped at what looked like a large workers" settlement. Behind us was the many towered skyline of lublin. There was much dust on the road, and the grass as dull, greenish-grey colour.
