Camp Conditions
Work
Prisoners at Flossenburg and its' subcamps were all forced into labor. Work for 20 people was done by 10, and expected to be done in half the time. Generally, they worked until they collapsed. Many of the prisoners committed suicide because of the mental toll this took on them. A man who worked at a bazooka factory said that there was no proper ventilation or gas masks supplied while working with dangerous fumes and chemicals. Stone quarry work resulted in a multitude of injuries sustained from excessive weight placed on the body. Being forced to lift such large amounts combined with the fact that they were given little food was nearly impossible. (Webb)
Food
The prisoners were malnourished to a huge extent; eating less than half of what the body requires. The prisoners were fed a lot of soup and plain broth, along with spinach and two slices of bread with margarine. Later in the day, they were served cabbage (Noga)
Clothing
The male prisoners at Flossenburg all had a required uniform of a striped prison jumpsuit with their number tag pinned on it. The women were given plain dresses and clogs and had their heads shaved. They were not supplied with underwear, making the shared uniforms even more unsanitary.
Sleep
The prisoners were housed in 16 wooden barracks, with crammed stacked bunk beds. Living in such close quarters combined with the lack of sanitation caused for spread of diseases. The prisoners would often go days without sleeping, but typically were alotted about 3-6 hours of sleep.(Flossenburg)
Work
Prisoners at Flossenburg and its' subcamps were all forced into labor. Work for 20 people was done by 10, and expected to be done in half the time. Generally, they worked until they collapsed. Many of the prisoners committed suicide because of the mental toll this took on them. A man who worked at a bazooka factory said that there was no proper ventilation or gas masks supplied while working with dangerous fumes and chemicals. Stone quarry work resulted in a multitude of injuries sustained from excessive weight placed on the body. Being forced to lift such large amounts combined with the fact that they were given little food was nearly impossible. (Webb)
Food
The prisoners were malnourished to a huge extent; eating less than half of what the body requires. The prisoners were fed a lot of soup and plain broth, along with spinach and two slices of bread with margarine. Later in the day, they were served cabbage (Noga)
Clothing
The male prisoners at Flossenburg all had a required uniform of a striped prison jumpsuit with their number tag pinned on it. The women were given plain dresses and clogs and had their heads shaved. They were not supplied with underwear, making the shared uniforms even more unsanitary.
Sleep
The prisoners were housed in 16 wooden barracks, with crammed stacked bunk beds. Living in such close quarters combined with the lack of sanitation caused for spread of diseases. The prisoners would often go days without sleeping, but typically were alotted about 3-6 hours of sleep.(Flossenburg)
A US soldier examining the only crematorium oven after the liberation of Flossenburg.
ushmm.org. Web, 11/3/2013
ushmm.org. Web, 11/3/2013
"Barracks for prisoners at the Flossenbürg concentration camp, seen here after liberation of the camp by US forces. Flossenbürg, Germany, May 5, 1945" (ushmm).
ushmm.org. Web. 11/3/2013
ushmm.org. Web. 11/3/2013
"Prisoners at forced labor break stone with pickaxes in the quarry of the Flossenbürg concentration camp. Flossenbürg, Germany, date uncertain" (ushmm).
ushmm.org. Web. 11/3/2013
ushmm.org. Web. 11/3/2013