What secrets does the Gedenktafel Kamenzer Straße hold? This unassuming memorial marks a place of immense suffering. The Gedenktafel Kamenzer Straße stands as a stark reminder of the HASAG Leipzig subcamp. It existed between June 1944 and April 1945.
The Gedenktafel Kamenzer Straße is more than just a plaque. It’s a portal to a tragic past. This site housed the largest subcamp for women of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Over 5,000 female prisoners were forced to produce weapons and ammunition for the HASAG (Hugo Schneider AG). In the fall of 1944, a separate men’s camp was also established here, holding nearly 700 prisoners. They too were forced into labor for the HASAG, a major armaments manufacturer during World War II.
The building at Kamenzer Straße 12 is the only remaining structure from the subcamp. It stands as a chilling testament to the horrors that occurred here. Originally built in 1940 as a warehouse, it was repurposed to house Polish forced laborers in 1941. By the summer of 1944, it became a prison. The women were crammed into 23 “blocks” within the building, sleeping on wooden bunks. The building also housed the infirmary, offices, kitchen, and canteen. The basement served as a washing area, air-raid shelter, and a “bunker” where prisoners were punished. Additional prisoners were housed in barracks surrounding the main building. The entire camp was enclosed by barbed wire and watchtowers.
The prisoners’ days were filled with grueling 12-hour shifts in the nearby HASAG factory. They produced ammunition and grenades under horrific conditions. Violence, hunger, disease, and exhaustion were constant companions. At least 18 women died within the camp itself. Many more perished after being deemed “unfit for work” and transported to Auschwitz, Ravensbrüch, and Bergen-Belsen.
Despite the brutality, acts of resistance and cultural expression persisted within the camp. Sabotage and secret performances provided glimmers of hope amidst the darkness. As the Allied forces approached, the SS evacuated the camp. On April 13, 1945, most prisoners were forced on a death march eastward. Those too weak to travel were left behind, only to be liberated by the US Army on April 18, 1945. The Gedenktafel Kamenzer Straße serves as a memorial to those who suffered and perished here. It reminds us to never forget the horrors of the past. The memorial has been repeatedly vandalized, highlighting the ongoing struggle against hate and the importance of remembrance.