SCENES FROM THE LIBERATED CAMP

On 11 April 1945, U.S. Army units forced the SS to retreat, after which prisoners in the camp resistance assumed control of the camp. Twenty-one thousand men and boys were liberated on the Ettersberg that day. Yet, what happened in the days, weeks and months following liberation? This exhibition highlights the central events that took place in the liberated camp between mid-April and early July 1945, and sometimes later, using historical photographs, many of which are on public display for the first time. These images are complemented by reports from people who experienced Buchenwald in the spring of 1945, including survivors, members of the U.S. Army and visitors to the camp. The exhibition consists of twelve columns situated at locations on the memorial grounds where the scenes depicted on the main side actually took place.