Vulkanwerft concentration camp

Vulkanwerft concentration camp in the Bredow district of Szczecin (German: Stettin),[1] also known as the KZ Stettin-Bredow,[2] was one of the early so-called "wild" German Nazi concentration camps set up by the SA (or the SS by different source),[3] in October 1933. The camp existed only until 11 March 1934, before prisoner transfer, and in spite of its short history, had as many as three commandants including SS-Truppführer Otto Meier, SS-Truppführer Karl Salis, and SS-Truppführer Fritz Pleines.[4] The camp was notorious for the brutality of its guards.[5] The prisoners were kept in the basement of the shipyard buildings.[1][lower-alpha 1]

SMS Hansa II in the dock of the Vulkan Werft, Szczecin (Stettin)

Some of the prisoners had contacts capable of influencing the leadership. Former field marshal August von Mackensen wrote a letter to Hermann Göring, after which commandant eight people: Joachim Hoffmann, Gustav Fink, Fritz Pleines, Willi Herrmann, Heinrich Richter and Walter Treptow were arrested torturing detainees. All defendants were convicted "because out of pure sadism they had tortured their victims to the utmost in an inhumane manner," beyond what was necessary. Hoffmann was sentenced to 13 years in prison, Fink was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Herrmann, received a 6-year sentence, Pleines and Salis each received 5-year sentences, Richter received a 2-year sentence, Treptow received a 9-month sentence. Another man, police officer Paul Grafunder, was fined 300 Reichsmark for trying to cover up the torture. The fine was considered paid via the time he'd served in pre-trial custody.[6]

On 30 June 1934, Hoffmann, Fink and Pleines were taken from prison and executed by firing squads composed of members of the SS Division Leibstandarte during the Night of the Long Knives.[7]

Other early concentration camps

See also
  • The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933-1945, vol. 1

Notes
  1. According to Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945 published by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Stettin- Bredow [aka Vulkanwerft] concentration camp was one of 110 early Nazi German camps listed by name.[2]

Citations
  1. David Magnus Mintert, Das frühe Konzentrationslager Kemna und das sozialistische Milieu im Bergischen Land (PDF) Ruhr University Bochum, doctoral dissertation (2007), pp. 232–235. Retrieved January 14, 2012 (in German)
  2. Geoffrey P. Megargee. "Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945" (PDF). The Early National Socialist Concentration Camps. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. VIII (8 / 22) – via direct download.
  3. Robert Lewis Koehl (1983). The Black Corps: The Structure and Power Struggles of the Nazi SS. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 94. ISBN 0299091902.
  4. Erik Lørdahl (2000). German Concentration Camps, 1933-1945. History. Vol. 1. War and Philabooks. p. 101. ISBN 8299558808.
  5. David T. Zabecki (2015). World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia. p. 76. ISBN 978-1135812423 – via Books.Google.com.
  6. Lothar Gruchmann: Justiz im Dritten Reich 1933–1940. Oldenbourg 2001, ISBN 3-486-53833-0, S. 349.
  7. Heinz Höhne: The Order of the Death’s Head. The Story of Hitler’s S.S., 1969, S. 188. Bei Höhne lautet es Englisch: “A fanatical, sadistic intellectual with an absence of feeling such as I had never experienced before.” (Die deutsche Originalformulierung: „Hofmann war einen Menschenschinder nach Himmlers Herzen. Haacke sagte von ihm: ›Ich habe Obersturmführer Dr. Hofmann mehrfach viele Stunden vernommen. Der Typ interessierte mich, wie eben auch ein besonders ekelerregendes Reptil ein von Neugier und Grauen gemischtes Interesse erregen kann. Dr. Hofmann war keine Korporalsnatur, sondern ein fanatischer, sadistischer Intellektueller von einer mir bis dahin nicht vorgekommenen Kälte des Gefühls. Ich habe nur einen Menschen kennengelernt, der mich im Wesen, ja sogar in seinen Bewegungen und Gesten vom ersten Augenblick an ihn erinnerte: Heydrich.‹“ Rudolf Diels: Lucifer Ante Portas … Es spricht der erste Chef der Gestapo, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart 1950, S. 396.).

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