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The Holocaust History Project.
The Holocaust History Project.

Liberation of the Camps

Question:

I was wondering if there are any books mostly pertaining to the period around when the camps where liberated at the end of the war? thought you guys ought to know if anyone does.. are there lists of books online somewhere thats fairly comprehensive?

Yale F. Edeiken answers:

Hello. I am one of the volunteers who answers questions for The Holocaust History Project. There is, to my knowldge, no comprehensive book on the liberation of the concentration camps. This most likely because the camps were liberated by three different armies. The Soviet Union liberated almost all of the concentrtion camps in the east (example: Auschwistz) while the Americans (example: Dachau) and the British (expample: Buchenwald) liberated those in the west.

An excellent book about the liberation of the camps by the American army is: Robert Abzug, "Inside the Vicious Heart: Americans and the Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camps" Oxford University Press 1985. It is still in print in a paperback edition.

--Yale F. edeiken

Question:

I'm trying to find out which specific units in the Red Army and the British Army liberated Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. I was wondering if you knew or had any ideas for finding out.

Ralf P. Loserth Responds:

Hello,

Auschwitz was liberated on January 27, 1945 by the Soviet Red Army, the British Army did not part in Auschwitz. I cannot at this time locate the exact Soviet Unit that liberated the camp.

The British liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945, by the 14th Amplifier Unit, Intelligence Corps and 63rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, part of the British second Army.

Thank You

Ralf P. Loserth

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