Bergen - Belsen Timeline 1st January - 14th April 1945

Year Month Date Timeline
1945      
Jan    
  136 Prisoners holding Latin American papers reach Switzerland.
1 18465 (9735 men, 8730 women) prisoners in Bergen-Belsen.
1000 women arrive from Auschwitz (Oświęcim) and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
500 women are transported to Buchenwald, Außenkommando Aschersleben from the Frauenlager[23]
Allies bomb Kassel railway marshalling yards.
4 Prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
6 Military bakery in Hannover hit by allied bombing.[20]
1004 women arrive from Auschwitz (Oświęcim) and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
7 Prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
9 Prisoners arrive from Flossenbürg, Außenkommando Leitmeritz and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
10 The six blocks (Block No's 1 - 6) of the Häftlingslager contains the following prisoners:[24]
Russian and Ukrainian 670
Polish 336
Hungarian Jews 342
French 191
German, Austrian and Sudeten German 95
Italian 45
Belgian 28
Croatian 16
Dutch 16
Latvian 15
Czech 12
Slovenian 10
Serbian 9
Mongol Russian 8
Greek 7
Spanish 5
Norwegian 5
German Gypsy 4
Danish 4
Armenian 3
Luxembourgish 2
Total 1823
Prisoners arrive from Neuengamme and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
12 524 Polish Army Officer POW's transferred to Gross Born.
14 The Italian military internees of Stalag XIC (311) transferred to Fallingbostel POW Camp.
15 22286 (5811 men, 16475 women) prisoners in Bergen-Belsen.

Stalag XIC (311) officially closes. During its existence it claimed the lives of the following numbers of POW's:

14000 Soviet POW (at least).
142 Italian military internees.
2 Polish doctors.
1 female Polish soldier.
1 French POW.
1 Serbian POW.
16 142 women arrive from Montelupich Strasse Prison, Krakau and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 300 women are transported to Neuengamme, Außenkommando Braunschweig from the Frauenlager[23]
17 Himmler orders evacuation of all prisoners in Auschwitz (Oświęcim).
17/18 Auschwitz (Oświęcim) abandoned.
20 Stalag XI C/311hospital dissolved and the Großes Frauenlager (large women's camp) takes its place.
The old Frauenlager becomes a second prisoners camp known as Häftlingslager II
21 301 South and Central American prisoners are transported to Switzerland, Internierungslager Biberach and Ravensburg from the Sternlager[23]. Only 136 prisoners actually arrive in Switzerland on 25 January 1945, the remainder left behind in civilian internment camps at Biberach and Ravensburg.

300 mainly South American prisoners leave. [20]
22 58 prisoners arrive from Natzweiler, Außenkommando Echterdingen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
24 205 prisoners arrive from Ravensbrück and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
25 Approx 2000 women arrive from Auschwitz (Oświęcim) and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 2000 prisoners arrive from Auschwitz (Oświęcim) and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
28 71 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Leipzig and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
29 1000 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Ohrdruf and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
1239 prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
30 1000 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
1-31 600 prisoners die.
Feb-Mar    
  All S.S. men born between 1905 and 1911 (30 men) are ordered to leave Bergen-Belsen and join 32 '30th January' S.S. Grenadier Division at the Oderfront. Many died at Oderbruch or became Soviet POW's.
Feb    
  SS Hauptsturmführer Josef Kramer reports death rate at 60 -70 per day.
A large transport of Hungarian Jews was admitted while the disinfection facility was out of order. As a result, Typhus broke out and quickly spread beyond control.
A maximum of 380 women arrive from Auschwitz (Oświęcim), Außenkommando Neustadt and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 2000 prisoners from the Häftlingslager are transported to Stutthof, Außenkommando Pölitz [23]
Approx 2000 Prisoners arrive from Stutthof, Außenkommando Pölitz and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 500 prisoners arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Wüstegiersdorf and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
First reports of cannibalism in the Häftlingslager. 3 men are hung for this crime.
1 Camp contains approx 22000 prisoners.
200 women are transported to Flossenbürg, Außenkommando Rochlitz from the Frauenlager[23]
500 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Ohrdruf and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
1008 prisoners arrive from Neuengamme and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
1-28 7,000 prisoners die.
2 Approx 470 women arrive from Auschwitz (Oświęcim), Außenkommando Hindenburg and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 300 prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
3 Women arrive from Ravensbrück and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
US 8th Air Force carries out the heaviest attack to date against Berlin which levels large areas of the city.
4 Approx 400 women return from Bergen-Belsen Außenkommando Hambühren and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
500 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Ohrdruf and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
5 Approx 500 women arrive from Tschenstochau and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
6 2224 prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
8 500 women are transported to Buchenwald, Außenkommando Raguhn from the Frauenlager[23]
2313 prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
10 76 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Lippstadt and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
2299 prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
11 1988 women arrive from Auschwitz (Oświęcim) via Groß Rosen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
13 Last transport leaves Groß Rosen
13/14 In the most destructive air raids of the war in Europe, Dresden is destroyed by a firestorm.
Mid Incineration of the dead becomes a serious problem for the administration as the Crematorium can handle only three bodies at a time.
15 1779 prisoners arrive from Groß Rosen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
500 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Ohrdruf and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
18 Women arrive from Ravensbrück and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
200 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Wolfen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Women arrive from Flossenbürg, Außenkommando Venusberg and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
20 Approx 1200 women arrive from Mauthausen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Allies carry out air raids on railway infrastructure at Nienburg.
RAF launched the first of 36 consecutive night raids on Berlin
20/28 Hauptsturmführer Josef Kramer quarantined the camp, but SS camp administration headquarters in Berlin insisted that Belsen be kept open to receive more evacuees arriving from the East. The death rate rose to 400 a day.
21 Allies carry out air raids on railway infrastructure at Nienburg.
Prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
22 Allies launch Operation Clarion, a concerted effort to wipe out all forms of transport available to the Germans in 24 hours. Nearly 9,000 aircraft, operating from bases in UK, France, Holland, Belgium and Italy attack over 25000 square miles of territory, targeting railways, bridges, ports and roads.
23 97% of Wesel destroyed.
24 1914 women arrive from Groß-Rosen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
390 prisoners from the Häftlingslager are transported to Neuengamme, Außenkommando Farge [23]
25 201 women are transported to Flossenbürg, Außenkommando Dresden from the Frauenlager[23]
71 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Lippstadt and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
26 Women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Wolfen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
201 women are transported to Flossenbürg, Außenkommando Dresden from the Frauenlager[23]
27 500 prisoners arrive from Mauthausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 380 prisoners from the Häftlingslager are transported to Dachau, Außenkommando Lauingen [23]
SS Hauptsturmführer Josef Kramer reports death rate 400 a day.
28 71 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Leipzig and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
1988 prisoners arrive from Sachsenhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
499 women are transported to Flossenbürg, Außenkommando Venusberg from the Frauenlager[23]
Camp contains 41520 prisoners.
Mar    
  The prisoner camp was filled with sick inmates from other concentration camps. Bergen-Belsen renamed a Rest Camp
498 women are transported to Dachau, Außenkommando Burgau from the Frauenlager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Falkenberg and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Schertendorf and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Dyhernfurt and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
307 prisoners from the Häftlingslager are transported to Dachau, Außenkommando Burgau [23]
350 prisoners from the Häftlingslager are transported to Neuengamme[23]
Women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Kurzbach and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Birnbäumel and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Women arrive from Groß Rosen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Hochweiler and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 500 women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Gräben and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Food supply begins to fail completely.
Bodies heaped in piles layered with wood and diesel are burnt in the open. This method of corpse disposal was discontinued at the end of March because the Forestry Administration prohibited the use of wood for this purpose, and the Officers of the training area were annoyed by the disgusting stench that filled the air.
Allied bombing nearby disrupts the water supply.
Josef Kramer is orderer to destroy all documents, records and personal papers[31]
Attempts to bury the dead abandoned.
1-31 18168 prisoners die.
1 41520 (14797 men, 26723 women) prisoners in Bergen-Belsen.
245 prisoners die[23]
547 women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Pürschkau and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
150 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Taucha and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Hauptsturmführer Josef Kramer writes to Gruppenführer Richard Glücks about the conditions at Bergen-Belsen.
2 293 prisoners die[23]
Approx 3200 women arrive from Ravensbrück and are housed in the Großes Frauenlager[23]
480 prisoners from the Häftlingslager are transported to Neuengamme, Außenkommando Hildesheim [23]
3 403 prisoners die[23]
698 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Mühlhausen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
4 453 prisoners die[23]
Women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Breslau and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
150 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Altenburg and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
105 Turkish prisoners from the Neutralenlager board a ship at Stockholm bound for Istanbul, via Liverpool[23]
5 345 prisoners die[23]
6 300 prisoners die[23]
7 Allies cross the Rhein during Operation Lumberjack.
286 prisoners die[23]
500 prisoners arrive from Flossenbürg, Außenkommando Leitmeritz and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
7/8 RAF destroys Rhenania Ossag AG oil refinery at Harburg.
8 647 prisoners die[23]
8/9 Large air raid on Hamburg.
Last heavy air raid on Kassel by RAF
9 381 prisoners die[23]
10 331 prisoners die[23]
Heinrich Himmler orders the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) not to spare medicine to combat the typhus outbreak in Bergen-Belsen.
Prisoners arrive from Neuengamme and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
1702 prisoners arrive from Groß Rosen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 1200 prisoners arrive from Flossenbürg, Außenkommando Groeditz and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
11 382 prisoners die[23]
258 prisoners arrive from Natzweiler, Außenkommando Leonberg and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
RAF Bomber Command sets record for the largest tonnage dropped on a single target in single day on Essen at 4661 tons.
12 RAF Bomber Command sets record for the largest tonnage dropped on a single target in single day on Dortmund at 4851 tons.
689 prisoners die[23]
781 women arrive from Groß Rosen and are housed in the Großes Frauenlager[23]
554 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Tröglitz and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
700 prisoners arrive from Flossenbürg, Außenkommando Leitmeritz and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
13 673 prisoners die[23]
Approx 2250 Prisoners arrive from Mittelbau, Außenkommando Nordhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
14 723 prisoners die[23]
100 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Taucha and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
2250 prisoners arrive from Natzweiler and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Twin railway viaducts at Schildesche, Bielefeld destroyed by RAF.
15 45117 (14730 men, 30387 women) prisoners in Bergen-Belsen.
878 prisoners die[23]
Women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Christianstadt and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Neuengamme and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Train arrives from Cheb carrying 781 female death march survivors.
16 576 prisoners die[23]
17 839 prisoners die[23]
994 women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Guben and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
18 777 prisoners die[23]
59 women arrive from Flossenbürg and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
19 836 prisoners die[23]
Approx 870 women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Grünberg and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 550 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Dortmund and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 690 women arrive from Mauthausen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Adolf Hitler issues his Nero Decree ordering all industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities and communications facilities in Germany be destroyed.
20 704 prisoners die[23]
600 prisoners arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Halbau and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Hauptsturmführer Josef Kramer urges visiting, as a result of his letter of 1 March, Gruppenführer Oswald Pöhl to prevent further transports arriving at Bergen-Belsen and to exchange the remaining Jews in the camp immediately. Pöhl agrees that all exchange prisoners and their families should be transferred elsewhere to make room for new arrivals.
21/22 Approx 550 Prisoners arrive from Mittelbau and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
21 US 8th Air Force launches a major air raid against Hamburg.
531 prisoners die[23]
2000 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald. [20]
22 927 prisoners die[23]
23 701 prisoners die[23]
58 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Magdeburg and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
884 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Ohrdruf and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 500 prisoners arrive from Natzweiler, Außenkommando Frankfurt/M and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
RAF launches a major air raid against Hildesheim.
RAF launches air raids against railway bridges at Nienburg and Bad Oeynhausen
24 403 prisoners die[23]
Approx 200 women arrive from Groß Rosen, Außenkommando Neusalz and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
25 494 prisoners die[23]
517 women arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Essen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Exchange prisoners deloused in preparation for transport.
26 1149 prisoners die[23]
424 women arrive from Ravensbrück and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
27 515 prisoners die[23]
28 596 prisoners die[23]
29 709 prisoners die[23]
30 334 prisoners die[23]
31 44060 (13338 men, 30722 women) prisoners in Bergen-Belsen.
Large air raid on Hamburg.
1039 prisoners die[23]
End Camp contains 44060 prisoners[23]
Approx 60 women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Lübberstedt and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Apr    
  451 women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Eidelstedt and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Langenhorn and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Tiefstack and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Bremen-Farge and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Mittelbau, Außenkommando Artern and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Mittelbau, Außenkommando Roßla and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 300 prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Schützenhof and Blumenthal and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Lerbeck and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
1-15 An estimated 9313 prisoners die.
1-30 An estimated 18355 prisoners die.
1 590 prisoners die[23]
2 696 prisoners die[23]
3 693 prisoners die[23]
4 572 prisoners die[23]
5 719 prisoners die[23]
Approx 300 prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Wilhelmshaven and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
British 11th Armoured Division established bridgehead across the river Aller.
6 Heinrich Himmler appoints Standartenführer Kurt Becher as Reich Special Commissar for the affairs of all Jewish and Political Prisoners.
Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann orders the evacuation of all the 'exchange Jews'.
39789 prisoners in Bergen-Belsen.
643 prisoners die[23]
2500 'exchange' prisoners from the Sternlager, Neutralenlager, Sonderlager and Ungarnlager are transported towards Theresienstadt. This train was liberated by the Allies at Farsleben near Magdeburg 13 April 1945.[23]
7 2500 'exchange' prisoners from the Sternlager are transported towards Theresienstadt to connect with the train that left the previous day. This train suffered a severe Allied air attack and was never heard of again.
8 Celle's railway infrastructure bombed by the Allies
Approx 870 women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Hannover-Limmer and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Hildesheim and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 350 prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Hannover-Ahlem and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 400 prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Hannover-Misburg and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 1000 prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Hannover-Stöcken and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 300 prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Hannover-Linden 'Mühlenberg' and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
15133 prisoners from Mittelbau-Dora are housed in Bergen-Belsen (now Bergen-Hohne) Barracks.
There are now over 60,000 prisoners at Bergen-Belsen.
Water supply fails.
8/9 Large air raid on Hamburg
9 476 women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Hamburg-Sasel and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Watenstedt and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
2400 - 2500 'exchange' prisoners are transported out of Bergen-Belsen on what was to become known as 'The lost transport'. After a 14 day journey across Germany it was eventually liberated 22/23 April 1945 by the Russians near Tröbitz. 198 prisoners did not survive the journey and a further 325 die soon afterwards. NOTE: According to the memoirs of Charles Hess an estimated 675 prisoners died from this transport after it was liberated. Their bodies are interned in a cemetery in Tröbitz .
Approx 800 women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando's Obernheide and Uphusen and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
10 Allies occupy Hannover
Women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Salzgitter-Bad and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 450 prisoners arrive from Buchenwald, Außenkommando Eschershausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
1579 prisoners arrive from Mittelbau, Außenkommando's Ellrich and Harzungen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Prisoners arrive from SS-Baubrigade III, Außenkommando Tettenborn and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 500 prisoners arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Drütte and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Water supply fails.
Standartenführer Kurt Becher and Rudolf Kasztner visit on an inspection tour and are briefed by Hauptsturmführer Josef Kramer on the conditions in the camp. Both Becher and Kramer agree that there is no alternative but to hand Bergen-Belsen over to the advancing British troops.
10/11 Prisoners arrive from Mittelbau, Außenkommando Nordhausen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
11 British Second Army occupies Celle.
Approx 300 women arrive from Neuengamme, Außenkommando Horneburg and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 100 women arrive from Mittelbau, Außenkommando Großwerther and are housed in the Frauenlager[23]
Approx 580 prisoners arrive from Mittelbau, Außenkommando Klein-Bodungen and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Between 2500 - 4000 prisoners arrive from Mittelbau and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Approx 1150 prisoners arrive from Mittelbau, Außenkommando Woffleben and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
270 prisoners arrive from Neuengamme and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
Heinrich Himmler authorises immediate handover of Bergen-Belsen to the British Army.
4 transports containing the 7000 exchange prisoners from the Neutralenlager, Sonderlager and Sternlager leave the railhead on the road to Bergen. One reaches Theresienstadt, one is bombed by RAF (the train was also carrying ammunition) the other two are liberated by Allied troops (one near Magdeburg).
12-14 All prisoners capable of walking (approx 2000) are put to work at corpse disposal. Behind the Crematorium three mass graves were dug and prisoners were formed into a long procession, four prisoners per corpse with strips of cloth or leather tied to wrists or ankles, dragging the dead to the mass graves.
12 Two German officers approach the British 11th Armoured Division under a white flag offering a local truce to prevent fighting breaking out around Bergen-Belsen and prisoners then roaming the area spreading disease. In return, the Germans offered them the intact bridge over the Aller at Winsen (Aller).
Approx 500 women arrive from Bergen-Belsen Außenkommando Unterlüß - Altensothrieth.
Prisoners arrive from Buchenwald and are housed in the Häftlingslager[23]
12-13 To prevent a battle in the area, a truce is established by the local German Army Commander, Oberst Harries, which details a neutral zone covering 6 x 8 kilometres around Belsen.
13 Wehrmacht takes over the camp.
Hungarian army takes over the role of guarding the prisoners in Camp 2.
Members of the British Army inspect the camp.
14 Majority of SS (approx 220) and Kapo's (approx 350) leave.[22] They take with them approx 600 German camp prisoners.
Hungarian troops replace SS Guards in the watchtowers[22]