National Park Service Histories Articles

The ''Why's'' and Wherefores''
of Buchenwald

This chronicle on the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald was written by the senior American officers of the Displaced Persons Division, U.S. Group Control Council for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces of the U.S. Department of War. It explains when and why the “camp” was created, who it was intended to incarcerate and how many:

“The recent death rate was about 200 a day. 5700 had died or been killed in February; 5900 in March, and about 2000 in the first 10 days of April…Jews were given even worse treatment than the others.”

U.S.General Eric F Wood Displaced Persons DivisionU.S.General Eric F Wood at Buchenwald Death CampU.S. Army Colonel Charles H Ott Displaced Persons DivisionU.S. Army Colonel Charles H Ott at Buchenwald Death Camp 1945French Commandant Rene L'Hopital at Buchenwald 1945U.S. Army General Hanford McNider at Buchenwald 1945U.S. Army General Frank Parker at Buchenwald 1945Franklin D'Olier at Buchenwald Death Camp 1945French citizens at BuchenwaldPolish citizens at BuchenwaldHungarian citizens at BuchenwaldYugoslavians citizens at BuchenwaldDutch citizens at BuchenwaldBelgian citizens at BuchenwaldAustrian citizens at BuchenwaldItalian citizens at BuchenwaldCzeck citizens at BuchenwaldGerman citizens at Buchenwaldanti-franco Spanish citizens at Buchenwaldboys under 14 at Buchenwalduniversity professors at Buchenwaldprominent Jews at Buchenwaldsurviving poulation at Buchenwald 1945medical experiments at Buchenwaldbody disposal at BuchenwaldNazi atrocities at Buchenwald

Death Camps

The ''Why's'' and Wherefores''
of Buchenwald

• PM Tabloid, 1945 •

Death Camps

The ''Why's'' and Wherefores''of Buchenwald

• PM Tabloid, 1945 •

The ''Why's'' and Wherefores''
of Buchenwald