History - Coins and factory parts found in the Ravensbrück Siemens camp
During excavations in the old Siemens camp at the Ravensbrück concentration camp, various coins and parts of works have been found. However, the yield was limited, said Claudia Theune, Professor of Prehistory and Early History at the University of Vienna and head of the excavations this summer. This is due to the fact that the site was used by the Red Army for many years in the post-war period and had undergone many changes. "Significant changes" were made through excavations. She can also imagine that Red Army soldiers took some of the objects with them years ago.
The former Ravensbrück women's concentration camp is located around 90 kilometers north of Berlin. According to Theune, from 1942 until the end of the war, the inmates had to perform forced labor for the company in a production facility set up by Siemens & Halske near the concentration camp.
Among other things, the forced laborers manufactured coils, toggle switches, microphones, telephones and measuring instruments for submarines and the air force. The Siemens camp was also built directly next to the production facility. Apart from a few foundations, there is nothing left of it today - the site is overgrown and partly covered in forest.
Theune described various products and components that were produced in the factory halls during the war and that the women had taken back to their accommodation as special finds. She suspects that the women used the parts to make their everyday lives easier. She could not say in what form, as this was still being investigated.
Siemens has been facing up to its own Nazi history for a long time, said Theune. She has observed that "really big companies" such as IG Farben or Bayer and Siemens are visibly interested in coming to terms with their past. "Siemens also has a pioneering role here." This began when a fund for the compensation of forced laborers was set up in Germany in the early 2000s, Theune recalls. Every year, Siemens sends trainees to Ravensbrück to carry out projects such as setting up signage and information boards. This year, the plan is to mark the locations of the barracks, of which nothing is visible today.
The excavations were initially a one-off project, said Theune. 15 Siemens trainees took part in the campaign. According to Theune, the up to 100 finds will remain at the Ravensbrück memorial and could be used for exhibitions. In addition to the relay parts, remnants of the barracks such as window glass and nails were also found.
Theune emphasized that working in places like the concentration camp is not always easy. She tries as best she can to block out the horrors that were part of everyday life here decades ago. However, she takes the time to remember the victims and to look calmly at her surroundings.
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- The discovery of coins and factory parts in the Ravensbrück concentration camp's Siemens site has shed light on the history of forced labor during World War II.
- Women inmates at Ravensbrück, located near Berlin, were forced to work in a Siemens facility, manufacturing components for military equipment such as coils, switches, and measuring instruments.
- Excavations at the former Siemens camp uncovered various finds, including remnants of barracks, window glass, and nails, but the majority of the site was altered during the Red Army's occupation.
- At the University of Vienna, Professor Claudia Theune leads excavations at the Siemens camp, which she believes have brought about "significant changes" due to finding limited items and objects possibly taken by Red Army soldiers.
- Siemens has been actively engaging with its Nazi past, setting up a fund for forced laborer compensation and sending trainees to Ravensbrück to work on memorial projects like erecting information boards and marking barrack locations.
- Memorials and exhibitions may feature the unearthed factory parts and coins as a testament to the women's resilience and resourcefulness, providing insight into their daily struggles within the concentration camp.
Source: www.stern.de
