Life in the concentration camps
The concentration camps established by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945 were not only centers of imprisonment but also places where daily existence was stripped of dignity and humanity. Prisoners from across Europe—Jews, Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and many others—were forced into an environment of constant deprivation. Survival depended on chance, physical strength, or occasional access to help from fellow inmates. Understanding the realities of daily life provides insight into how the Nazi system operated as a tool of destruction [1].
Arrival and Registration
For prisoners, the ordeal began immediately upon arrival. Transports often arrived in cattle cars after days without food or water. At camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau, new arrivals were subjected to a selection: those deemed unfit for labor—children, the elderly, or the sick—were often sent directly to extermination facilities. Those admitted to the camp were stripped of possessions, shaved, disinfected, and issued uniforms marked with colored triangles that indicated their prisoner category: political, Jewish, Roma, homosexual, or other groups. Each prisoner was assigned a number, which became their primary identity within the camp. At Auschwitz, some prisoners even had numbers tattooed on their arms. This process of registration symbolized the deliberate erasure of individuality and the subjugation of human beings to bureaucratic control [2].
Daily Routine and Forced Labor
Life in the camps followed a strict, punishing routine. The day typically began before dawn with roll call (Appell), where prisoners stood outside for hours, regardless of weather, often witnessing executions or beatings. Afterward, they were sent to forced labor, which could include construction, mining, agriculture, or work in camp workshops. In Auschwitz, prisoners labored for IG Farben and other companies under conditions that guaranteed exhaustion and high mortality. Work was carried out with minimal tools, sometimes bare hands, and under constant surveillance by SS guards or prisoner overseers (kapos). Refusal or inability to work could result in immediate punishment, ranging from beatings to death. The motto “extermination through labor” summarized the Nazi approach: work until death, then replace the prisoner with another transport [3].
Nutrition and Starvation
Food rations in camps were intentionally insufficient. A typical daily allowance might include watery soup, a small piece of bread, and ersatz coffee. Occasionally, margarine or sausage substitute was added, but never enough to sustain the caloric needs of forced labor. Malnutrition weakened prisoners rapidly, leaving them vulnerable to disease and injury. Hunger was a constant feature of camp life; prisoners often risked severe punishment by stealing food or trading small items for scraps. Starvation was not incidental but part of camp policy, designed to reduce survival and make prisoners more docile. In many camps, food deprivation itself was a form of mass killing [4].
Living Conditions in Barracks
Accommodation in the barracks was harsh and overcrowded. Wooden bunks were shared by multiple prisoners, often without mattresses or blankets. Sanitation was minimal, with inadequate toilet facilities and little opportunity to wash. Lice and fleas spread rapidly, causing epidemics of typhus and other diseases. Heating was absent or insufficient, leaving prisoners exposed to freezing winters and scorching summers. Noise, overcrowding, and the constant presence of death created an atmosphere of unrelenting psychological stress. Many survivors later described the barracks as places of despair where dignity and privacy were systematically denied [5].
Punishments and Terror
The regime of terror was enforced through constant surveillance and harsh punishments. Prisoners could be beaten for minor infractions such as failing to stand straight during roll call or attempting to take an extra piece of bread. Public executions, hangings, and shootings were carried out in front of fellow inmates to instill fear. Solitary confinement, starvation cells, and collective punishments were common. Some camps also served as sites for brutal medical experiments, where prisoners were subjected to procedures without consent, often resulting in death. Terror was not random; it was an organized system designed to enforce obedience and dehumanization [6].
Coping and Survival Strategies
Despite overwhelming adversity, prisoners developed strategies to survive. Solidarity networks sometimes formed among inmates of the same nationality or background. Sharing food, information, or moral support could mean the difference between life and death. Religious practices, clandestine education, or even small acts of cultural expression—such as singing or storytelling—helped some prisoners preserve a sense of identity and humanity. Survival often depended on chance: being assigned to a less demanding work detail, avoiding selections, or receiving aid from other prisoners. Yet, the majority did not survive; mortality rates in camps remained extraordinarily high until liberation [7].
Liberation and Testimony
As Allied forces advanced in 1945, many camps were evacuated in death marches, during which thousands perished. Those who remained were liberated in appalling conditions: skeletal survivors, mass graves, and disease-ridden barracks confronted liberators with the stark reality of Nazi crimes. Survivors’ testimonies have since played a central role in documenting daily life in the camps. Memoirs, oral histories, and educational initiatives ensure that the voices of prisoners remain present in historical memory, serving as warnings of the consequences of systemic dehumanization [8].
Daily life in Nazi concentration camps was shaped by starvation, forced labor, and constant violence. These conditions were not accidental but integral to the system’s design. They aimed at breaking prisoners physically and psychologically, while extracting labor or facilitating extermination. Remembering the lived reality of the camps is essential to honoring the victims and understanding how ordinary structures of work, housing, and discipline can be transformed into instruments of mass destruction.
References
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, Life in the Camp – link
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Camps – link
- Majdanek State Museum, Living Conditions – link
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Concentration Camp – link
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Concentration Camp System in Depth – link
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, Punishments and Executions – link
- Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Concentration Camps – link
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