KZ Außenlager Saurer-Werke-West Stone

How could a place of industry become a place of suffering? Right here in Vienna’s 11th district, the KZ Außenlager Saurer-Werke-West Stone stands as a stark reminder of a dark chapter in history. The stone memorial, erected in 1981, marks the location of a former satellite camp of the Mauthausen concentration camp. This camp, known as the “Saurerwerke Subcamp” or “Wien-West,” was established on August 20, 1944. It was situated near the Saurerwerke factory halls on Haidestraße. The factory, specialized in producing trucks and tracked vehicles, continued its operations under the Nazi regime. The prisoners of KZ Außenlager Saurer-Werke-West were forced to contribute to the production of tank transporter trucks. The first transport brought 140 prisoners to this site. Within a month, the number swelled to 1,000, and by late February 1945, the camp held 1,480 prisoners. These individuals, mostly categorized as “political” prisoners, hailed from various countries across Europe. They endured harsh working conditions in the factory’s C hall and even in the basement of the nearby Neugebäude castle. The prisoners’ suffering was compounded by a high mortality rate. 40 prisoners died at the KZ Außenlager Saurer-Werke-West itself. Additionally, 17 more perished in the “infirmary camp” upon their return to Mauthausen. On April 1, 1945, the evacuation of KZ Außenlager Saurer-Werke-West began. While many prisoners were forced on a death march to Steyr, the sick and those unable to walk were left behind. They were liberated by Soviet troops on April 8, 1945. The KZ Außenlager Saurer-Werke-West Stone serves as a solemn reminder of the human cost of war and oppression. It urges us to remember the victims, learn from the past, and strive to create a future where such atrocities are never repeated.