EVACTUATION TRANSPORTS
With the following transports by train and by foot, prisoners from the AUSCHWITZ complex were evacuated elsewher in the perion 18 to 21 January 1945.
- a) camp or command, which was evacuated; (Ak=Arbeitskommando = Work Command- ; KL=Konzentrations Lager = Concentration Camp.
- b) camp or place of destination;
- c) date of arrival.
MEN, ON FEET TO GROSS-ROSEN AND ONWARDS BY TRAIN
- a) departure from camp b) evacuation to c ) arrival date
Ak. BLECHHAMMER (AU III) KL. BUCHENWALD 9 Feb 1945
Ak. GLEIWITZ (AU I) KL BUCHENWALD 10 Feb 1945
Prisoners of this transport arrived at GROSS ROSEN on 2 February 1945 and were forwared to BUCHENWALD on 7 February 1945.
On 18 January 1945 many original prisoners of camp GLEIWITZ were sent to Ak.BLECHAMMER and on 21 January 1945 evacuated with the “healthy prisoners of the latter camp.
For the route, covered by the prisoners from Ak. BLECHHAMMER and Ak. GLEIWITZ, see appendix V.
From Appendix V: Evacuatieon routes of two evacuation marches from the KL AUSCHWITZ-complex in the end-period.
Departure by foot on 21 January 1945 from AK. Blechhammer: Neustadt – Frankenstein – Stansee – Schweidnitz – Reichnau – GROSS ROSEN. (arrival 2 February 1945)
Departure 7 Februari 1945 by train from GROSS ROSEN: Liegnitz – Görlitz – Dresden – Chemnitz – Gern – Jena – Weimar – KL. BUCHENWALD (arrival 9 and 10 February 1945).
As for the evacuation transports to KL. BUCHENWWALD, KL. DACHAU, KL. FLOSSENBURG, KL. MAUTHAUSEN and KL. MITTELBAU/DORA, many documents are present and found in the records of these camps, so that it can generally be established which of the evacuees reached these camps. For the fate of those still missing from these groups, reference is also made to what is stated in the respective chapters concerning these camps.
As far as the evacuees are concerned, it can also be stated that the men of the KL. AUSCHWITZ complex were evacuated to various camps and that the last date on which a group of prisoners reached an end was 9 May 1945. (group, which ended up in GREIFENBERG after wandering around for 3 ½ months).
In summary, of the non-returned women and men, of whom it is certain or may be assumed:
that they were evacuated from the KL. AUSCHWITZ-complex, that they were not found again in KL. BUCHENWALD, KL .DACHAU, KL. FLOSSENBURG, KL. MAUTHAUSEN or KL. MITTELBAU/DORA;
that they did not have died on a specific date and/or place during the evacuation or after arrival at BERGEN BELSEN, GREIFENBERG, KL. RAVENSBRUECK or KL. SACHSENHAUSEN have been spotted;
that they had no reason not to return to the Netherlands, if still alive, must be assumed in high likely of certainty
that they have died during one of the evacuation-marches of the KL. AUSCHWITZ complex in a westerly direction:
a ) women: not earlier than 18 January 1945 and no later than 29 January 1945 in Poland or Germany
b ) men: not earlier than 18 January 1945 and no later than 4 February 1945 in Poland, Tsjechoslowakia, Germany or Austria.
From what has already been stated:
that the prisoners of Ak. BLECHHAMMER and Ak. GLEIWITZ (not those, who were evacuated via GLEIWITZ) exclusively to KL. BUCHENWALD have been evacuated. These prisoners, who left BLECHHAMMER on foot on 21 January 1945, reached GROSS-ROSEN on 2 February 1945 and only on 7 February 1945 by train to KL. BUCHENWALD forwarded (arrival 9 and 10 February 1945). For this group it can therefore be assumed that the majority of the prisoners, who succumbed during the march, died before 7 February 1945. If prisoners of this category KL. BUCHENWALD, under the same condition mentioned above, it can be assumed that they died during the evacuation march of Ak. BLECHHAMMER to KL. GROSS-ROSEN not earlier than 21 January 1945 and not later than 7 February 1945 in Poland.
Source: the archive of the Dutch Red Cross, parts from the publication “Auschwitz VI”, carry-off- and evacuation transports from Auschwitz and vicinity, edited in March 1952, pages 15 par.C, 19 sub IV, 20, 28, 29, 30 and appendix V.