Dana+Kisenwether

**Concentration Camps of WWII** Chelmno: The First Extermination Camp  The Chelmno Extermination camp, located 30 miles from Lodz, was the first concentration camp built by the Germans during World War Two. Chelmno was established in November of 1941. Operation began on December 8, 1941 and the camp was closed in January of 1945. It operated, solely to kill Jewish men, women, and children along with Roma and prisoners of war. Around 350, 000 people were murdered at Chelmno.

1. Approximately thirty miles from the town of Lodz, the Village of Chelmno was located. Chelmno lies along the Ner River, a tributary of the Warta which is found in today's West Central Poland. "The "killing center" was composed of a manorial estate in the town of Chelmno, and a forest clearing two and a half miles northwest of the city." In the camp, there were two separate kommandos, one worked inside the manor, another worked in the forest clearing a few miles away.[|Click Here] to read more and tell me what was the German name of each part of the camp.  2. Jews from all across Europe, including Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Holland were murdered at Chelmno. Roma, who were gypsies, Poles and Russian prisoners of war were also among those killed in the camp. Victims, a total of around 350, 000, were brought to the camp by rail or car. [|Click Here] to read more about what happened to the Jewish people once they arrived at Chelmno.  3. It was awful what the Germans did to their victims inside the Chelmno camp. Can you believe it was only operated by 20 S.S. Officers and about a hundred members of the Gestapo, but who was at the head of this horrible operation? You'll have to [|Click Here] and read Part VI to find out.

4. There were only ever four people to escape from Chelmno. [|Click Here] (read part VIII) and [|Here] to figure out who they were.

Near the end of the war as the front progressed most of those remaining at Chelmno were shipped off to Birkenau-Aushwitz and never heard of again. The camp was destroyed, along with anyone left inside the buldings. It was all burned to the ground. Chelmno was liberated from German control on January 27, 1945, by the 2nd Belarusian Front. At the site were Chelmno once was, there is a museum in memory of the victims and all the terrible things they experienced. [|Click Here] to take a tour of the memorial site.

**__Sources Cited__** 1. "Chelmno." __United States__ __Holocaust Memorial Museum__. 7 Oct. 2008. 25 Feb. 2009 [].

2. "Memorial site at Chelmno death camp in Poland - photos by Alan Collins, April 2006." __Scrapbookpages.com - a web site for tourists and armchair travelers__. 10 Mar. 2009 [].

3. Nowak, Dr. L. "Chelmno - Death Camp for Total Extermination ." __WE REMEMBER! SHALOM! æëåø! ùìåí!__. 17 Oct. 2007. 4 Mar. 2009 [].

4. Zamosc, Leon. "JEWISH GOMBIN (GABIN, POLAND, JEWISH GENEALOGY): CHELMNO." __Division of Social Sciences, UCSD__. 17 Oct. 2007. 4 Mar. 2009 [].