“Never forget.” This is the message etched in stone before you at the Gedenk- und Mahntafel KZ Buchenwald Schwerte Ost plaque. This memorial marks a dark chapter. It commemorates the victims of the Buchenwald concentration camp’s satellite camp. This camp existed here in Schwerte-Ost. It stood from April 6, 1944, to January 29, 1945.
The KZ Schwerte-Ost was a subcamp of the notorious Buchenwald. Buchenwald was near Weimar. This subcamp was located on the grounds of the Deutsche Reichsbahn repair shop. This was near the Schwerte Ost train station. Imagine the trains rumbling past. All while unimaginable suffering occurred just steps away.
The labor camp was outside the Reichsbahn repair shop walls. It was near today’s tennis court. Seven barracks were secured by an electric fence. SS guards controlled everything. The first 100 prisoners arrived on April 7. They were forced to repair and convert locomotives. German foremen oversaw their work. Prisoner numbers fluctuated. A report from September 29, 1944, listed 701 prisoners. On January 15, 1945, the subcamp was dissolved. 201 prisoners were returned.
Today, a memorial commemorates the camp. Dortmund artist Horst Wegener created a sculpture. It shows a five-meter-long section of railroad track. Five stone sleepers represent the bodies of abused men. Next to the sculpture lies a stone memorial plaque. It was placed by the city of Schwerte. The remaining remnants of the camp are listed as historical monuments.
Pause for a moment. Consider the weight of this history. The trains these prisoners repaired likely carried people to their doom. The Gedenk- und Mahntafel KZ Buchenwald Schwerte Ost plaque serves as a stark reminder. The city holds annual memorial services. These events remember the end of World War II and liberation from Nazism. They occur on May 8. The Schwerte Peace Initiative and Bündnis Schwerte gegen Rechts support these events. Artists also contribute.
In 2022, the memorial service returned after pandemic restrictions. Bianca Dausend and Fritz-Günter Held spoke. Schwerte musician Astrid Hoffmann performed. Nele Blase gave a speech. The theater group “gegenwind” performed Paul Celan’s “Todesfuge.” In 2021, an online memorial service was held. The STUDIO 7 Theaterwerkstatt für aktive Kultur e.V. created it.
The location of the Gedenk- und Mahntafel KZ Buchenwald Schwerte Ost plaque is significant. It is a place of reflection. It allows us to remember those who suffered here. It urges us to stand against injustice and inhumanity. Let this memorial be a constant reminder. We must learn from the past. We must work towards a future of peace and understanding. As you leave this place, carry the memory of this plaque. Share the story. Ensure that such atrocities never happen again.