Today marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen camp. It has a complicated history, starting as a Prisoner of war camp which later became a concentration camp before being liberated. The atrocities committed are unimaginable. Many thousands of Jewish people were kept in horrifying conditions and treated appallingly.
On the 15th of April 1945 British forces finally brought an end to this horror, liberating the camp. During the war, it is believed that over 19,000 prisoners of war died in the camp and 52,000 civilians. Even after liberation, it is estimated that a further 14,000 didn’t survive due to disease and malnutrition.
Of those who survived many had lost all of their family and even their entire community. What each and every one of them went through is difficult to comprehend. The stories from survivors and the brave soldiers who entered the camp are part of our History and must never be forgotten. What happened in Bergen-Belsen must be remembered and must never happen again.
The Holocaust Educational Trust has created a new page to commemorate Bergen-Belsen and remember all those who were killed. If you would like to learn more and hear stories from survivors then visit, https://www.het.org.uk/belsen-75th-anniversary.
I would like to take this moment to remember those who died there, the survivors and the British troops who liberated the camp.
