The Hannover-Mühlenberg concentration camp was built in early February 1945 (as a satellite camp of the Neuengamme concentration camp) in Hannover, near the Oberricklingen district. The SS managed the camp for to months until the evacuation on 6 April 1945. Alternative names for this camp were “Camp Hanau”, Camp Hano(mag)” or “Hannover-Linden.”
The Prisoners.
The prisoners came from a satellite camp of Auschwitz, which was cancelled because the Red Army was approaching. Already 134 prisoners died during the six day trip. But 500 prisoners came to Hannover and stayed in four barracks of the Mühlenberg camp, with a total of 40 barracks, where 3000 forced labourers worked for the Hanomag. The housing conditions were very poor, partly doors and windows were missing and the sanitary facilities were mostly defective. In Hannover, 250 concentration camp residents each worked in two 12-hour shifts. Half of the Jewish prisoners came from Poland and Hungary, as well as from other countries, and they were used to produce cannons. In March 1945 prisoners were added by the transports of the White Busses from Neuengamme, for example.
During the short period the camp has existed, there have been many casualties, mostly due to eshaustion, but the penalties were also severe. For example, people were not allowed to speak in the camp, and who-ever did so, ran the risk of being killed. Among those hoe perished before the evacuation in the camp were among others Charles or Carel van Lier, Mozes Melkman, Leendert Kool, Jacob Elzas and Hijmen Mooleman.
The commanding officer was the SS Oberscharfüher Walter Quakernack and the SS guards, including violent marines. led by the Obermaats Ehrhardt Adamcyk. At least, 79 prisoners did not survive the camp until the eviction of the concentration camp on 6 April 1945.
Evacuation of the camp.
When the camp was evacuated, the prisoners who were still able to walk had to march to Bergen Belsen concentration camp, which they reached on 8 April 1945. About 50 prisoners were left in the camp because they were too sick for the long march. They were shot death on 6 April 1945 by the returned SS-guards.
Among the 50 prisoners, who were shot dead by the SS on 6 April were a number of Dutchmen. One of them was able to escape death, by hiding himself in the chimney. But back in the Netherlands, he could no longer live with that experience, and took his own life. One of those, known to have died in this mass murder was among others Leendert Loonstijn.
The camp secretary witnessed this and he testified: “On 6 April this camp was evacuated and the prisoners were transported to Bergen-Belsen. The sick comrades were killed by a shot in the back of the neck. These comrades were reburied by the Commisson after the liberation on the Ehrenhain of the Seelhorst Cemetery”.
Another part came to Bergen-Belsen by truck. The surviving prisoners were liberated on 15 April 1945.
Source: Wikipedia website https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentratiekamp_Hannover-M%C3%BChlenberg, from which a part of the text has been copied here and which is translated in the English language.