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Roll Call Square

Behind the gate building and the "sluice" was roll call square. Here a general roll call of all camp inmates was held mornings and evenings until 1946.

The former roll call area can be seen as a large open area in front of the camp gate, which can be seen in the background. In the foreground of the picture, the outlines of the former barracks of the camp are made visible on the ground by fields of cinder stones, which stand out darkly against the rest of the gravel. — The roll call area of the former concentration camp was used in the special camp until 1946, 2012. Photo: Claus Bach. ©Buchenwald Memorial

Later, roll calls were held individually in front of each specially fenced-in barracks. This additionally limited the contact among inmates. Camp-wide roll calls only took place in conjunction with flight attempts. These roll calls, which often lasted for hours, claimed many lives due to the harsh climate of Buchenwald and the poor health of the inmates.