A rare and large photograph of Ebensee camp prisoners who were able to walk, on the day of their release. The prisoners march under a sign that reads: "We salute our liberators." And on the back is written: "Prisoners released from Ebensee concentration camp who are able to walk" - On the back on the piece of paper details of the press agency that photographed it - the U.S. Signal Corps photo unit Photo eto-hq-45-46256. Ebensee, May, 1945.
KZ Ebensee was a Nazi concentration camp for forced labor, which was one of the sub-camps of the Mauthausen concentration camp. The camp was established by the SS in November 1943 near the town of Ebensee in Upper Austria (the snowy mountains of Upper Austria can be seen in the background of the photo). Most of the forced laborers there, about 20,000 prisoners, were enslaved there to death. The number of Jews in it reached 40%. The Jews suffered the worst conditions and the mortality among them was the highest. The other prisoners were Gypsies, Russians, Poles, Czechoslovakians and also political prisoners from Germany and Austria. Allied forces reached the camp and liberated it on May 6, 1945. For many of the prisoners it was too late, and some died in the following weeks due to malnutrition and disease.
Size: 24x18 cm. Very good condition.
