Subcamp Linz III

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Location of the concentration camp in Linz

The concentration camp Linz III was a satellite camp of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Linz at the Reichswerke Hermann Göring . It existed from May 22, 1944 until the liberation on May 5, 1945. A total of around 6,800 prisoners were sent to the camp, and at least 700 prisoners died. The prisoners had to work mainly in tank construction.

history

founding

At the beginning of 1943, the Linz I subcamp was set up at the Hermann Göring Reichswerke . As the Linz I camp became too small, the new, larger Linz III sub-camp was established between the Hermann Göring works and the Traun . There was already a barrack camp there, which was used, among other things, to accommodate Italian military internees . On May 22, 1944, a first group of 30 prisoners was transferred to the Linz III camp. On July 25, 1944, parts of the factory premises were hit in a bomb attack that killed over 100 concentration camp inmates. Since the Linz I camp was also destroyed in the process, the camp was closed and the more than 600 prisoners transferred from Linz I to Linz III.

Forced labor

The concentration camp Linz III was founded primarily for forced labor in the Eisenwerke Oberdonau and Stahlbau GmbH, both subsidiaries of the Reichswerke Hermann Göring. Prisoners had to work in three halls building tanks. Later, concentration camp prisoners were also used in production in the iron and steel works , in the Alpine-Montan operations and in the slag works. Since Linz was bombed several times by Allied aircraft, the prisoners were also used to clean up the factory premises and in the city of Linz. The prisoners also had to build air raid tunnels .

Prisoners

A total of 6,786 prisoners were deported to the Linz III camp. The peak was reached in early October 1944 with 5,660 prisoners. About 4800 prisoners were liberated by American soldiers on May 5, 1945. With the more than 100 concentration camp prisoners who died in a bomb attack on May 22, 1944, a total of at least 700 prisoners were killed in Linz III.

The prisoners in the camp came from over 20 nations. Large groups came from the Soviet Union and Poland. There were also groups from Hungary, Italy, France and the German Empire. Jewish prisoners from Poland and Hungary were also imprisoned in Linz III.

Living and working conditions

Since the prisoners in Linz III had to work for different work details, the working conditions were very different. Some of the prisoners had to work in shifts. As in the entire Mauthausen camp system, living and working conditions deteriorated over time. This included increasing time pressure, longer working hours and mistreatment of prisoners by company employees and security guards. The majority, around two thirds, of the approximately 700 deaths occurred in the six weeks prior to the liberation. Sick prisoners were also deliberately killed during these weeks.

Guarding

A total of around 350 men were deployed to guard the camp. Some of these were SS men , members of the Wehrmacht , but also so-called ethnic Germans from Southeastern Europe and so-called Trawniki men from Ukraine. Camp leader was SS-Obersturmbannführer Karl Schöpperle. Schöpperle came from the Black Forest and was an architect and director of a vocational school. He had previously been used to set up other satellite camps. Karl Schöpperle was sentenced to death after the war and executed in November 1948 . Other SS members in Linz III were Labor Service Leader Herbert Winkler and Report Leader Franz Kofler. The Linz III camp was dealt with in several court cases. In addition to members of the SS, civilian foremen were also charged.

Post war history

Memorial stone with wreaths
Memorial stone on the site of the former Linz III camp

Around 1965, the Amicale de Mauthausen , a French survivors' association, erected a memorial stone on the site of the former Linz III camp. The memorial stone was later moved to a parking lot at the voestalpine sports facility . The text on the stone reads:

From 1944–1945 there was a branch camp of the Nazi Mauthausen concentration camp here. Countless deportees from all countries gave their lives for the freedom of the people.

Voestalpine also operates the Contemporary History Museum , which also deals with the forced labor of the concentration camp inmates of Linz III. Every year in May there is a liberation ceremony in memory of the victims of the Linz III concentration camp.

See also

literature

  • Bertrand Perz : Linz III. In: Wolfgang Benz , Barbara Distel (eds.): The place of terror. History of the National Socialist Concentration Camps. Vol. 4: Flossenbürg, Mauthausen, Ravensbrück. CH Beck, Munich 2006, pp. 398-400, ISBN 3-406-52964-X .
  • Bertrand Perz: Concentration camp prisoners as forced laborers for the Reichswerke “Hermann Göring” in Linz. In: Oliver Rathkolb (Ed.): Nazi forced labor: The Linz location of the Reichswerke Hermann Göring AG Berlin 1938–1945. Volume 1: Forced labor - slave labor: Political, social and economic history studies. Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2001, pp. 449-590, ISBN 3-205-99417-5 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Bertrand Perz: Linz III. In: Wolfgang Benz, Barbara Distel (eds.): The place of terror. History of the National Socialist Concentration Camps. Vol. 4: Flossenbürg, Mauthausen, Ravensbrück. CH Beck, Munich 2006, pp. 398-400, ISBN 3-406-52964-X .
  2. ↑ a b c d e Linz III subcamp. In: Mauthausen Guides - Mauthausen Committee Austria. Retrieved May 28, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Linz subcamp I. In: Mauthausen Guides - Mauthausen Committee Austria. Retrieved May 28, 2020 .
  4. ^ The Linz location of the Reichswerke AG "Hermann Göring" Berlin. In: voestalpine.com. Retrieved May 29, 2020 .
  5. ↑ a b c d The satellite camps. In: Mauthausen Concentration Camp Memorial. Retrieved May 29, 2020 .

Coordinates: 48 ° 16 '15.3 "  N , 14 ° 20' 58.8"  E