Aussenlager Boelcke Kaserne

Location:

In the South of Nordhausen near the Rotenburgstrasse.

History:

The subcamp was founded in January 1945 in former army barracks (Kaserne). It was officially called an "Aussenlager". This means it was set to provide cheap labor to the German industry. This wasn't the case in the Boelcke Kaserne camp. Although there were a number of workingparties (Arbeitskommando's), the main purpose of the camp was a camp were prisoners should die. In nazi term this type of camp were called "Erholungslager" (health-resort) or "Sterbelager" (dying camp). The last name was more appropriate.
The camp had an average population of 2000 prisoners. These prisoners usually came from the nearby concentrationcamp Mittelwerk-Dora.

On 3 and 4 April 1945, Boelcke Kaserne was bombed by the American airforce.The Aussenlager was almost completely destroyed. After the bombardment, the camp was liquidated.

Current status:

The victims of the bombardment were buried in mass graves in a nearby cemetery called "Ehrenfriedhof Nordhausen" at the Stressemann Ring in Nordhausen.

All buildings of camp/Kaserne are gone, there is nothing left. On the former area of the Boelcke Kaserne a small monument is setup.

		Boelcke Kaserne after the bombardment (April 1944)
		Monument on the grounds of the former Boelcke Kaserne (1993)

References:

• Documentatie Todesmarsch der haftlinge des KZ Mittelwerk-Dora und seine aussenlager, page 19/22-23
• Das Nationalsozialistische Lagersystem, page 568
• KZ Mittelwerk-Dora, page 162-165
• Gedenkstätten, page 346