Historical Background

The establishment of Soviet special camps in Germany in 1945 was directly linked to the war started by Germany. The result was devastating: millions of people fell victim to the German policy of conquest and extermination. Destruction on an unprecedented scale made large areas uninhabitable, especially in the Soviet Union, and deprived the population of their livelihood.

After the end of the war, the Allies interned Germans who could pose a threat to the security of the occupying powers and the establishment of a new political order. Their goal was to pacify and de-Nazify Germany.