Wehrmacht Labour Camp

Wehrmacht labour camp was established at Majdanek’s field V in May 1944. It is estimated that over 2,000 prisoners were detained there. They were the residents of various settlements and towns of the Lublin region including Kurów, Lubartów, and Piaski. Formally, they were not prisoners of a concentration camp and as such were not registered in the KL Lublin records. Instead, they were at the disposal and control of the Wehrmacht that was preparing to defend the city and used those prisoners to erect field fortifications. They were digging trenches in the anticipated sectors of the Soviet offensive. Some inmates were also assigned to cleaning and maintenance works within the prisoner field itself.

Conditions

In comparison with the concentration camp prisoners under the supervision of the SS, the prisoners governed by the Wehrmacht were in a better situation. They were treated better, offered relatively good rations, and they could be released in case of any serious health problems. The German army command even allowed for a mass to be celebrated in the camp, which took place on 4 June 1944 with two priests deliberately brought from the city. The Wehrmacht labour camp operated until 22 July 1944. The prisoners were abandoned and left the camp on their own a day later.

Document confirming the official release of Wacław Jankowski from the Wehrmacht labour camp.