Wöbbelin was a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp. When US troops entered Wöbbelin on May 8, 1945, they encountered the horrific conditions that prisoners had faced.
The main gate of the Wöbbelin concentration camp
The main gate of the Wöbbelin concentration camp. On May 2, 1945, the 8th Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne Division encountered the Wöbbelin concentration camp. Photograph taken upon the liberation of the camp by US forces. Germany, May 4, 1945.
Item ViewView of the Wöbbelin concentration camp
On May 2, 1945, the 8th Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne Division encountered the Wöbbelin concentration camp. Here, American soldiers patrol the perimeter of the camp. Germany, May 4-May 10, 1945.
Item ViewUS troops at the Wöbbelin camp
On May 2, 1945, the 8th Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne Division encountered the Wöbbelin concentration camp. This photograph shows US troops in the Wöbbelin camp. Germany, May 4–6, 1945.
Item ViewA survivor in Wöbbelin
A survivor in Wöbbelin. The soldier in the foreground of the photograph wears the insignia of the 8th Infantry Division. Along with the 82nd Airborne Division, on May 2, 1945, the 8th Infantry Division encountered the Wöbbelin camp. Germany, May 4-5, 1945.
Item ViewSurvivors at Wöbbelin
Survivors in a barracks at the Wöbbelin concentration camp. Germany, May 4–5, 1945.
Item ViewBodies of prisoners discovered in Wöbbelin
A US Army soldier views the bodies of prisoners piled on top of one another in the doorway of a barracks in Wöbbelin. Germany, May 4–5, 1945.
Item ViewSleeping quarters in Wöbbelin
Sleeping quarters in Wöbbelin, a subcamp of Neuengamme concentration camp. This photograph was taken upon the liberation of the camp by US forces. Germany, May 5, 1945.
Item ViewThe Wöbbelin camp
The fenced perimeter and an entrance to the women's camp at Wöbbelin. Photograph taken May 4–6, 1945.
Item ViewBurial of victims killed at the Wöbbelin camp
After the liberation of the Wöbbelin camp, US troops forced the townspeople of Ludwigslust to bury the bodies of prisoners killed in the camp. Germany, May 7, 1945.
Item ViewBurying the victims of Wöbbelin
After the liberation of the Wöbbelin camp, US troops forced the townspeople of Ludwigslust to bury the bodies of prisoners killed in the camp. This photograph shows German civilians who were ordered to bury the dead; US troops stand in the background. Germany, May 7, 1945
Item ViewFuneral for victims of Wöbbelin
After the liberation of the Wöbbelin camp, US troops forced the townspeople of Ludwigslust to bury the bodies of prisoners killed in the camp and give the victims a proper burial. This photograph shows the funeral for the victims. Germany, May 7, 1945.
Item ViewFuneral for victims of Wöbbelin
After the liberation of the Wöbbelin camp, US troops forced the townspeople of Ludwigslust to bury the bodies of prisoners killed in the camp. This photo shows US troops assembled at the mass funeral in Ludwigslust. Germany, May 7, 1945.
Item ViewBurial of victims of Wöbbelin
German civilians from Ludwigslust file past the corpses and graves of 200 prisoners from the nearby concentration camp of Wöbbelin. The US Army ordered the townspeople to bury the corpses on the palace grounds of the Archduke of Mecklenburg. Germany, May 7, 1945.
Outraged by what they found upon entering the camp, the ranking Allied commanders in the area forced civilians from the nearby towns of Schwerin, Hagenow, and Ludwigslust to view the concentration camp and then bury the bodies of prisoners in their towns.
Item ViewFuneral service for victims of the Wöbbelin camp
After the liberation of the Wöbbelin camp, US troops forced the townspeople of Ludwigslust to bury the bodies of prisoners killed in the camp. This photograph shows American troops at the funeral service for the victims. Germany, May 7, 1945.
Item ViewAssisting survivors of Wöbbelin
Former prisoners of Wöbbelin, a subcamp of Neuengamme, are taken to a hospital for medical attention. Germany, May 4, 1945.
Item ViewCaring for survivors of Wöbbelin
Survivors in Wöbbelin board trucks for evacuation from the camp to an American field hospital for medical attention. Germany, May 4–5, 1945.
Item ViewCaring for survivors of Wöbbelin
Survivors of the Wöbbelin camp wait for evacuation to an American field hospital where they will receive medical attention. Germany, May 4-6, 1945.
Item ViewSurvivors waiting for medical care
Survivors waiting for to be evacuated from the Wöbbelin concentration camp to receive medical attention at a field hospital. Germany, May 4, 1945.
Item ViewUS troops view bodies of Wöbbelin victims
Troops of the American 82nd Airborne Division view bodies of inmates at Wöbbelin, a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp. Germany, May 6, 1945.
Item View