Restfläche KZ-Außenlager

From September 1944 to March 1945, the Restfläche KZ-Außenlager existed as a stark reminder of humanity’s darkest hours. This site, the former Dortmund-Hoerder Hüttenverein AG grounds, bore witness to unimaginable suffering. The Restfläche KZ-Außenlager served as a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. It specifically housed women, primarily Polish, but also Russian, German, and other nationalities. Many were Jewish. Originally, 400 Polish women arrived at Restfläche KZ-Außenlager from Ravensbrück. They were survivors of the Warsaw Uprising, branded as political prisoners. Their numbers eventually swelled to between 400 and 800. These women, some as young as thirteen, endured twelve-hour shifts in the munitions factory. They produced weapons for the Union, AG für Bergbau, Eisen- und Stahl-Industrie. The conditions were horrendous. The lack of safety precautions resulted in frequent accidents and health issues from toxic fumes. At least ten women perished within the walls of Restfläche KZ-Außenlager. Countless others suffered lifelong consequences from starvation, disease, and abuse. After a devastating Allied bombing raid on Dortmund on March 12, 1945, the munitions production at Restfläche KZ-Außenlager ceased. The remaining women were transported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Only about half lived to see liberation on April 15, 1945. Today, the building at Restfläche KZ-Außenlager houses a training center for the Dortmund Chamber of Crafts. Inside, a memorial by artist Anette Seiler and a small documentation center stand as testaments to the women imprisoned here. They serve as a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed at Restfläche KZ-Außenlager and the resilience of those who survived.