Was there a concentration camp in the Gaj housing estate?
YES. In the area of today’s Gaj housing estate in Wrocław, in 1933, one of the first concentration camps in the Third Reich operated – KZ Dürrgoy (Konzentrationslager Dürrgoy). It was a so-called “wild camp” (wilde Konzentrationslager), established shortly after Adolf Hitler came to power. Its main purpose was to detain and repress people who opposed the policies of the NSDAP. Although it functioned for only a few months, from April 28 to August 10, 1933, it was a cruel testimony to the beginnings of the Hitlerite system of terror and foreshadowed the creation of much larger and better organized extermination centers. The prisoners were mainly German Social Democrats, communists, and people of Jewish faith who resisted the new authorities.
The exact location of the concentration camp in the Gaj housing estate in Wrocław
The KZ Dürrgoy camp was located in the southern part of Wrocław, in the Dürrgoy district (today’s Tarnogaj), near the road known as Strehlener Chaussee, which is today’s Bardzka Street. Specifically, it occupied the area of a former chemical factory called “Silesia Wrocław,” specializing in the production of basic and chemical fertilizers. Today, this area is largely covered by Gajowe Hill, which was formed after the war from the rubble of the destroyed city. The concentration camp in the Gaj housing estate in Wrocław was located right next to the Holy Spirit Cemetery. Although there are difficulties in precisely delineating the boundaries of the camp due to later changes to the terrain, historians point to the area of today’s Gajowe Hill as the place where it was located. Prisoners were forced to work in the nearby “Silesia” chemical plants.
When did the concentration camp operate in the Gaj housing estate?
According to many sources, in the area of today’s Gajowe Hill in Wrocław, more precisely on the grounds of the former sulfuric acid factory “Silesia Wrocław,” one of the first concentration camps in the Third Reich – KZ Dürrgoy – operated in 1933. It was a so-called “wild camp” (wilde Konzentrationslager), established shortly after Hitler came to power. It was intended mainly for political opponents of the NSDAP, and among the prisoners were such prominent figures as the President of Lower Silesia Hermann Lüdemann and the Mayor of Wrocław Karl Marche. Conditions in the camp were brutal – prisoners were held in makeshift barracks and railcars, beaten and tortured. The camp existed for only a few months, from March to August 1933, but it stands as a painful testimony to the beginnings of Nazi terror. Although the exact location of the camp is still the subject of research and debate, memory of it is slowly returning to the awareness of residents, reminding them of the dark past of this place.
How many people worked in the concentration camp in Gaj, Wrocław?
Data concerning the number of staff at the KZ Dürrgoy camp are not as precise as statistics regarding the prisoners, although available source materials allow for certain conclusions. The originator and actual commander of the camp was Edmund Heines, who served as the head of the SA in Silesia and the commander of the Wrocław police. Guard duties were performed primarily by members of the SA (Sturmabteilung), the paramilitary units of the NSDAP. Although precise numbers are lacking, camps of this early formative period usually had staff ranging from several dozen to around one hundred people, depending on the number of detainees. In the case of KZ Dürrgoy, where the number of prisoners ranged between 800 and 1,000, it can be assumed that the personnel consisted of at least several dozen SA members responsible for supervision, security, and the use of violence against prisoners.
Prisoners and conditions in the concentration camp of Wrocław’s Gaj
The KZ Dürrgoy camp held between 800 and 1,000 prisoners. These were primarily political opponents of the Nazi regime: members of the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany), communists from the KPD (Communist Party of Germany), and people of Jewish origin. Among the more well-known prisoners were Paul Löbe (President of the Reichstag), Hermann Lüdemann (President of the Province of Lower Silesia), Karl Mache (Mayor of Wrocław), and Fritz Voigt (former chief of police in Wrocław). Conditions of detention were extremely harsh and brutal. Prisoners were held in makeshift barrack structures left over from a prisoner-of-war camp from World War I, as well as in railway wagons. They were subjected to regular beatings and torture, and forced labor in the “Silesia Wrocław” chemical factory constituted an additional form of abuse. The camp was closed on August 10, 1933, and the last 343 prisoners were transported to the Esterwegen camp, marking the beginning of the centralization of the system of repression and the transfer of detainees to larger and more advanced centers.
Gajowe Hill covers a concentration camp
For many decades, the history of KZ Dürrgoy remained largely forgotten, buried under layers of rubble and earth that gave rise to Gajowe Hill. Today, with the growing historical awareness of society, the memory of this place is slowly returning to the collective consciousness of the residents of the Gaj housing estate and the city of Wrocław. Although the precise delineation of the camp’s boundaries remains the subject of further scholarly research, efforts are being made to commemorate the victims and restore awareness of this dark chapter in the history of the area. Learning about and understanding this history is essential for shaping a conscious identity among the residents of Wrocław and serves as an instructive lesson about the dangers associated with totalitarianism and violence.