The camp was originally named Ettersberg; but since this name was famous from the writings of Goethe and Schiller, Himmler changed the name to Buchenwald. Below are thumbnails of a cover and lettersheet from prisoner #370, Georg Konig, to Halle. The letter was written on September 26, 1937, and postmarked September 28, 1937. The cover is identified in Lordahl as Type E1ab and the lettersheet as Type S1az with a Type C1 censor mark. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Pre-9/1/39" in the left frame to return.
Below are thumbnails of four envelopes from prisoners at Buchenwald. The first is from a Jewish prisoner, Ludwig Ordower, to Vienna postmarked February 21, 1941. This envelope is identified in Lordahl as Type E6a with a Type C1 censor mark. The second envelope is from the same prisoner and is postmarked February 26, 1942. This second envelope is identified in Lordahl as Type E6a with a Type C2a censor mark. The third envelope is from a Jewish prisoner, Otto Epstein, to Vienna postmarked December 8, 1943. This third envelope is identified in Lordahl as Type E7a with a Type C4a censor mark. The fourth envelope is a neutral (no preprinting) envelope postmarked July 10, 1941, to Bohemia. According to Lordahl, this type of envelope was used mostly by Czech prisoners. This envelope contains a letter which is included below. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Envelopes" in the left frame to return.
Below are thumbnails of a lettercard written in January, 1945, from a husband who is imprisoned at Buchenwald to his wife who is imprisoned at Ravensbruck. The lettercard is identified in Lordahl as Type L1a with a Type C12a censor mark. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Lettercards" in the left frame to return.
Below are thumbnails of four lettersheets from prisoners at Buchenwald. The first is from Ludwig Ordower dated February 16, 1941 (see first envelope above). This lettersheet is identified in Lordahl as Type S7a with a Type C1 censor mark. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Letter 1" in the left frame to return.
The second lettersheet is from a prisoner, Edmund Kornacki, to Warsaw, postmarked April 22, 1944. This lettersheet was used without an envelope and is identified in Lordahl as Type S10 with a Type C4a censor mark. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Letter 2" in the left frame to return.
The third lettersheet is from a prisoner, Pavel Lientek postmarked September 2, 1942. This lettersheet was used without an envelope and is identified in Lordahl as Type S10xy with a Type C4a censor mark. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Letter 3" in the left frame to return.
The fourth lettersheet is from a prisoner, Wiadislaus Sionek, postmarked May 17, 1944. This lettersheet was used without an envelope and is identified in Lordahl as Type S10 with a Type C2a censor mark. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Letter 4" in the left frame to return.
Below are thumbnails of the front and back of three postcards from prisoners at Buchenwald. The first card is from a prisoner, Richard Goldmann, written November 18, 1938. This card is identified in Lordahl as Type P2 with a type C1 censor mark. It is likely that Goldmann was one of many Jews arrested immediately after Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938. The second card is from a prisoner named Gincberg written March 31, 1940. This card is identified in Lordahl as Type P3a with a type C1 censor mark. The third card is from a prisoner, August Woquitza, written November 2, 1940. This card is identified in Lordahl as Type P4a with a type C2a censor mark. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Postcards" in the left frame to return.
Official postcards are those printed for general use rather than specifically for prisoners. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of two official postcards from prisoners at Buchenwald. The first card is from a prisoner, Josef Dolezal, to Bohemia and was written on October 13, 1940 and is identified in Lordahl as Type PO2a. The second card is to Warsaw written on March 26, 1943 and is identified in Lordahl as Type PO3 with a type C2a censor mark and type SC12c and SC17 special cachets. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Official Postcards" in the left frame to return.
Below are thumbnails of two items. The first item is the front and back of a parcel receipt card from the Crematorium Division of the Buchenwald concentration camp. The card bears the 2-line cachet of the Crematorium division. The card is franked with 85pf German stamps with a 5/29/42 cancellation. The card pertains to a parcel of three urns sent to the Jewish committee in Vienna. The second item is an invoice for Chlorkalk addressed to the Doctor in charge of Buchenwald. Chlorkalk was a substance that was poured over dead Jews before cremation. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Crematorium" in the left frame to return.
Below are thumbnails of the different denominations of camp currency used at Buchenwald. The currency came in two major types. The first has "Aussenkommando" printed diagionally accross the face, and the second type lacks this printing. The first type was used to pay for field work in many of the outside work camps under the jurisdiction of Buchenwald. The second type of currency is much less frequently encountered. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Currency" in the left frame to return.
On the first day of the war, the Gestapo in German occupied Czechoslovakia arrested about 2,000 prominent citizens, priests, army officers, government officials, business owners, as well as Jews. They were all deported to Buchenwald. They were housed in special barracks, with the exception of Jews (placed in separate barracks) and priests (transferred to Dachau). This action was code named "Aktion Albrecht I". The treatment of these inmates was far more humane than that of other inmates. Restrictions on mail for these inmates was far less severe than that for other inmates. The postcards, lettersheets and envelopes which they used were blank, i.e. no preprinted instructions. The mail sent by the inmates shows no censor marks. Mail was censored by the block elder. Below are a thumbnails of two letters. The first is from Karel Moravec, an Aktion Albrecht I inmate, dated November 2, 1941. The second is from a priest named Josef Sumsal. He was transferred to Dachau on May 22, 1942, and died there on February 9, 1945. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Aktion Albrecht" in the left frame to return.
The camp was liberated on April 11, 1945. Below are thumbnails of an original copy of a secret report prepared by Military Intelligence Team 439-C, HQ XX Corps, dated April 14, 1945, and circulated among various headquarters of the Third US Army, giving the history of the camp and its status at the time of liberation. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Camp Liberation" in the left frame to return.
Erik Lordahl, German Concentration Camps 1933-1945, History and Inmate Mail (2000). Referred to as Lordahl.
Lance K. Campbell, Prisoner of War and Concentration Camp Money of the 20th Century, P. 82-85 (1993)
Buchenwald
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