
The child is not here... and I, where should I go!
GEN. 37:30
Konzentrationslager Herzogenbusch
Camp Vught, also known by the Nazis as Herzogenbusch Concentration Camp, was built in 1942. The construction was financed with stolen Jewish goods and opened in January 1943.
Between January 1943 and September 1944, almost 32,000 people were imprisoned there.
During World War II, the camp served as a transit camp for 12,000 Jews and as a camp for political prisoners, black marketeers, Romani people, resistance fighters, hostages, homosexuals, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Compared to other concentration and extermination camps, the regime in the camp was relatively mild. However, this did not mean that no atrocities took place, as they certainly did. At least 751 people died in the camp. 329 of them were executed at the firing range just outside the camp. The others perished due to illness, hunger, or exhaustion.
Economic function
In addition to its political-military function, like the other camps later in the war, the camp also had an economic function. In a part of the camp, airplanes were dismantled, and some departments of the company Philips were located. The prisoners produced radios and squeeze crates there, among other things.
Atrocities in Camp Vught
Just like in other camps, atrocities took place in Camp Vught as well. The most well-known ones are the bunker tragedy and the children’s transports.
Bunker tragedy
In January 1944, 74 women were locked up in a cell measuring 9 square meters. After 14 hours, they were taken out of the cell. This resulted in the loss of 10 lives.
Children’s transports
Various kindertransports departed from Camp Vught to various extermination camps. For example, in June 1943, over 1,250 children aged 0 to 16, accompanied by one or both parents, were transported from Camp Westerbork to the Polish extermination camp Sobibor.
Liberation
Before the SS camp leadership fled, they transported 3,500 prisoners to concentration camps Ravensbrück and Sachsenhausen. Many of the deported prisoners perished.
On October 27, 1944, the camp was liberated by the Allies, but they found an empty camp.
The functions of the camp after World War II
After the war, the former concentration camp served as an internment camp for Dutch collaborators and war criminals. In total, 7,000 collaborators were accommodated here, including 300 Dutch SS members. The SS members wore the striped uniforms that were previously worn by the camp prisoners.
After the departure of the last prisoners, the barracks stood temporarily empty. In 1951, the vacant camp was used to provide shelter for South Moluccan soldiers and their families. During the struggle against the Republic of Indonesia, they fought alongside the Dutch army. After the definitive withdrawal of the Dutch, it was no longer safe for them in Indonesia.
Since 1992, they no longer reside in the outdated barracks but in modern new homes in the so-called residential area Lunetten.
In conclusion
My visit to Camp Vught was impressive and made me think. It is incredibly important that new generations learn what took place at Camp Vught so that history will never repeat itself.
For more information about Camp Vught, I refer you to the website of the National Monument Camp Vught (www.nmkampvught.nl).