Berga, Thuringia
Encyclopedia
Berga/Elster is a town in the district of Greiz
, in Thuringia
, Germany
. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster
, 14 km southeast of Gera
.
In World War II
a Labor camp
called "Berga an der Elster" was operated here to dig 17 tunnels for an underground ammunition factory. Workers were supplied by Buchenwald concentration camp and from Stalag IX-B
. The latter was in contravention of the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention
. Many prisoners died as a result of malnutrition, sickness and beatings. including 73 American POWs
Greiz (district)
Greiz is a Kreis in the east of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Saale-Holzland, Saale-Orla,district-free city Gera, the Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, Altenburger Land, and the two Saxon districts Zwickauer Land and Vogtlandkreis.- History :Historically the area of the district...
, in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster
Weiße Elster
The White Elster or Weisse Elster is a long river in central Europe, right tributary of the Saale. Its source is in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, near Aš. After a few kilometres, it flows into eastern Germany...
, 14 km southeast of Gera
Gera
Gera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster, approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometres to the east of Erfurt...
.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a Labor camp
Labor camp
A labor camp is a simplified detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons...
called "Berga an der Elster" was operated here to dig 17 tunnels for an underground ammunition factory. Workers were supplied by Buchenwald concentration camp and from Stalag IX-B
Stalag IX-B
Stalag IX-B also known as Bad Orb was a World War II German Army POW camp at Wegscheide close to Bad Orb in the province of Hesse, Germany...
. The latter was in contravention of the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention
Third Geneva Convention
The Third Geneva Convention, relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was first adopted in 1929, but was significantly updated in 1949...
. Many prisoners died as a result of malnutrition, sickness and beatings. including 73 American POWs
External links
- Description of KZ Berga
- City Website Berga/Elster
- District Greiz
- PBS.org
- WW II vet held in Nazi slave camp breaks silence, CNN.com
