Bergen - Belsen Timeline 1943

Year Month Date Timeline
1943      
Feb    
4 Dr. Erich Albrecht proposes that Jews with dual citizenship who also hold English or American papers be exchanged for German citizens interned abroad
13 Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop 'agrees in principle' to extended negotiations about exchange, and instructs Dr. Erich Albrecht to get in touch with Heinrich Himmler.
Mar    
2

Foreign Office informs the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) that all measures are to be taken 'which make it possible to obtain the return to their homeland of interned German citizens, in exchange for citizens of enemy states at our disposal. For this purpose not only English and American but also Dutch, Belgian, French, Norwegian and Soviet citizens of the Jewish race'

The RSHA accepts this proposal.
  SS Sturmbannführer Adolf Hass is appointed Kommandant of a new special camp, designed to hold prominent European Jews or Jews from neutral countries, who could be exchanged for German citizens interned abroad. He has approx 90 SS men transferred from Niederhagen under his command.
Apr    
  POW hospital handed over to Stalag XI B Bad Fallingbostel.

Soviet POW camp dissolved. French and Belgian POW's moved to Bad Fallingbostel.
25 20[6] 'Nacht und Nebel' Prisoners sent from Natzweiler to help build[5] the Internierunglager (Internment camp).
27 The name Bergen-Belsen appears for the first time in the address list of a circular decree issued by Section D of the WVHA, which is responsible for the concentration camps.
29 2400 Polish Jews who hold papers from Central and South America arrive.[5]
30 250[6] prisoners arrive from Buchenwald to help build[5] the Internierunglager (Internment camp).
May    
1-31 4 prisoners die[6]
7 100-150[6] prisoners arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Wewelsburg to help build[5] the Internierunglager (Internment camp).
10 A circular from Section D of the WVHA officailly announces the establishment of 'Bergen-Belsen civilian internment camp'.
The southern section of Stalag XI C/311 is handed over to the SS by the Wehrmacht. This established the Internierunglager (Internment camp) Bergen-Belsen for Jews who were intended for exchange for Germans held in internment abroad.
18 180-200[6] French prisoners sent from Natzweiler to help build[5] the Internierunglager (Internment camp).
Jun    
  Stalag XI C(311) is disbanded. The POW hospital becomes a branch of Stalag XI B (Fallingbostel)
1-30 2 prisoners die [6]
29 Internierunglager (Internment camp) renamed Aufenthaltslager (Detention camp) This change was necessary because civil internment camps must be inspected by the International Community in accordance with the Geneva convention.
Jul    
  The Aufenthaltslager is divided into sections:
Neutralenlager (Neutrals' Camp): Jewish citizens of neutral countries.
Sonderlager (Special Camp): Contains 2400 Jews who, although of Polish origin from Warsaw, Lemberg and Kracow, are citizens of neutral countries in Latin America and hold Palestine emigration papers.
Sternlager (Star Camp) or Vorzugslager (Privileged Camp): Named after the Star of David worn by the prisoners. Contains exchange prisoners.
Häftlingslager (Prisoners' Camp): Contains the prisoners previously held at Buchenwald and Natzweiler that were used to construct the Internierungslager (Internment camp).
350 Sephardi Jews, mainly from Salonika (Thessaloniki) who were citizens of neutral countries such as Argentina, Portugal, Spain and Turkey arrive and are held in the Neutralenlager (Neutrals' Camp)[5]. NOTE: According to one survivor, Toni Yomtov Saporta Molho, these Sephardi Jews never exisited.
1-31 7 prisoners die[6]
7 1226 prisoners arrive from Warschau and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
175 prisoners arrive from Lemberg and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
44 prisoners arrive from Krakau and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
10 138 prisoners arrive from Bochnia and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
15 598 prisoners arrive from Warschau and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
27 prisoners arrive from Radom and are housed in the Sonderlager [7]
28 62 prisoners arrive from Warschau and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
31 64 prisoners arrive from Warschau and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
Aug    
  Schuhkommando established.
3300 reported prisoners in camp.
Death rate 4 per month
1-31 4 prisoners die[6]
5 110 prisoners arrive from Krakau and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
13 74 Greek prisoners arrive from Saloniki and are housed in the Neutralenlager [6]
367 Spanish prisoners arrive from Saloniki and are housed in the Neutralenlager [6]. These prisoners were eventually transported, in February 1944, to an internment camp in North Africa then onto Palestine.
30 RSHA at Bergen-Belsen requests no further prisoners as it could only cope with 3000.
Sep    
1-30 4 prisoners die[6]
15 305 prisoners arrive from Westerbork and are housed in the Sternlager [6]
23 43 prisoners arrive from Warschau and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
Oct    
  30 - 35 prisoners arrive from Berlin and are housed in the Sonderlager [4]
11 prisoners arrive from Vienna and are housed in the Sonderlager [4]
1-31 7 prisoners die[6]
21 46 prisoners arrive from Warschau and are housed in the Sonderlager [6]
  Approx 1800 Polish prisoners holding 'promesas' from the Sonderlager are transported to Auschwitz [6] after being told they were being transported to Bergau. When the prisoners arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau (Oświęcim-Brzezinka) they realised they were in an extermination camp, one woman snatched a pistol from a member of the SS and shot him, and severely wounded another. Other women attacked the SS with bare hands. Reinforcements were called, and after they arrived some of the prisoners were shot, others killed with grenades and the remained gassed in Crematorium III. There were no survivors from this transport.
Nov    
5 1 prisoner arrives from Vittel and is housed in the Sternlager [4]
29 1 prisoner arrives from Vienna and is housed in the Sonderlager [4]
1-30 10 prisoners die[6]
Dec    
1-31 9 prisoners die[6]