Researchers document Germans who died at Soviet internment camp for Nazis after World War II
By CAMERON ABADI
Associated Press Writer

ORANIENBURG, Germany (AP) -- Researchers at the former Nazi Sachsenhausen concentration camp have finished compiling a list of nearly 12,000 Germans who died there during its use as an internment camp by the Soviets after World War II.
On Thursday, memorial officials released the 260-page document, saying they aimed in part to provide a measure of closure to the families of those who died.
"The book of names will serve as a monument to the dead,'' said Horst Seferens, a spokesman for the Sachsenhausen museum.
Soviet secret police used the camp just north of Berlin to imprison many Nazis as well as critics of the Soviet occupation of eastern Germany after the defeat of Adolf Hitler's regime. In all, an estimated 60,000 people were sent to "Special Camp No. 1'' in 1945-50.
Over the past two years, researchers at Sachsenhausen have pored over reams of files provided by the Russian government. By cross-referencing names with death certificates, camp books and other administrative records, they put together a list of 11,890 people who died -- a number in line with previous estimates.
They said they determined the major cause of death was tuberculosis and other illnesses, with hunger contributing to the deaths.
"Famine was a factor in deaths all over Soviet territory,'' memorial director Guenter Morsch said. "This supports the hypothesis that the deaths were a result of famine. There was no order from Moscow to kill these prisoners.''
One former inmate had mixed feelings about the release of the list, which will be publicly accessible at the memorial in the coming months and is expected to be published in book form at the end of the year.
"I am glad that this list now exists,'' said Horst Jaenichen, who said he was interned at age 15 in 1946 and was kept there until 1948. "But it has come much too late for many relatives of the people who died here.''

Charleston Daily Mail - News - Researchers document Germans who died at Soviet internment camp for Nazis after World War II*

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman

Even how hurtful and tragic I think it still is important to get to know names and places and reasons for death to the relatives....

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