It is the final resting place of more than 80,000 people murdered by the Nazis and, today, the Queen visited the site of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to pay tribute to those who lost their lives there.
Belsen, which occupies a stretch of Lower Saxony countryside, began life as a Soviet prisoner of war camp but was turned into a prison for Jews in 1943 and was also used to house 'evacuees' brought from Auschwitz as the Red Army of Russia advanced.
Her Majesty, who lived through World War II and was evacuated to Windsor Castle during the Blitz, was making her first visit to the Nazi camp and was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, who spent the war fighting with the Royal Navy.
During the visit, the Queen met with some of the Jewish survivors of the camp as well as men from the British VIII Corps which liberated Bergen-Belsen on the 15th April 1945.
Although few of the original buildings remain, the site now houses a memorial to the victims where the Queen, accompanied by Jens-Christian Wagner, laid a wreath in their memory.
Jewish groups have welcomed the visit, with many using the moment to emphasise the importance of remembering the Holocaust and ensuring that nothing like it happens again.
Speaking in advance of the trip, Bernard Levy, one of the men who helped liberate Bergen-Belsen, described the Queen's visit as 'fitting' and said it would encourage younger people to listen to survivors' stories.
The Queen's tribute to victims of the Holocaust: Her Majesty lays a wreath during tour of Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen
The Queen has visited the site of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany's Lower Saxony
Her Majesty driven there from the town of Celle and laid a wreath at the foot of a memorial for its 80,000 victims
The most famous of those incarcerated there was Anne Frank who was just 15 when she died from typhus
Bergen-Belsen was liberated by the British Army in April 1945, shortly after Miss Frank lost her life
By Rebecca English In Berlin For Mailonline and Ruth Styles for MailOnline
26 June 2015
Daily Mail
It is the final resting place of more than 80,000 people murdered by the Nazis and, today, the Queen visited the site of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to pay tribute to those who lost their lives there.
Belsen, which occupies a stretch of Lower Saxony countryside, began life as a Soviet prisoner of war camp but was turned into a prison for Jews in 1943 and was also used to house 'evacuees' brought from Auschwitz as the Red Army of Russia advanced.
Her Majesty, who lived through World War II and was evacuated to Windsor Castle during the Blitz, was making her first visit to the Nazi camp and was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, who spent the war fighting with the Royal Navy.
Remembrance: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh lay a wreath at the foot of the memorial to the victims of Bergen-Belsen
Historic: The visit to the Nazi concentration camp by the Queen has been hailed by survivors and Jewish groups
As one: Unusually, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, both of whom lived through World War II themselves, laid the wreath together
During the visit, the Queen met with some of the Jewish survivors of the camp as well as men from the British VIII Corps which liberated Bergen-Belsen on the 15th April 1945.
Although few of the original buildings remain, the site now houses a memorial to the victims where the Queen, accompanied by Jens-Christian Wagner, laid a wreath in their memory.
Jewish groups have welcomed the visit, with many using the moment to emphasise the importance of remembering the Holocaust and ensuring that nothing like it happens again.
Speaking in advance of the trip, Bernard Levy, one of the men who helped liberate Bergen-Belsen, described the Queen's visit as 'fitting' and said it would encourage younger people to listen to survivors' stories.
'It is fitting the queen should go,' said Mr Levy, 89, who was a 19-year-old British Army corporal at the time of the camp's liberation.
'Holocaust education is so paramount, and many kids of today don't really know about it. The Queen going there lends credence.'
He said many who saw the horrors at the camp, or suffered as prisoners, tried to put the experience behind them but are now finding that they want to talk about it.
Stories: The Queen and Prince Philip speak to survivors and soldiers (L-R) Doreen Levy, Captain Eric Brown and Anita Lasker-Wallfisch
Derelict: Few of the camp buildings now remain, with the site left to revert to heath-land following the end of the war
Poignant: The royal couple are shown around the camp by Bergen-Belsen's memorial director, Jens-Christian Wagner
Memorial: The memorial at Belsen was erected in 1946 and inaugurated in 1952 in a ceremony watched by then President Theodor Heuss
Sombre: The Queen, who lived through World War II herself, appeared deeply affected by the visit to the concentration camp
Mr Levy, who works for the Holocaust Educational Trust, added: 'After 70 years, there's been a revival of people who want to say something before they die.'
Bergen-Belsen began life in 1935 when the Nazi military selected a site near the small village of Belsen, close to the town of Bergen in Lower Saxony, for a new training complex.
Completed in 1937, it was used to give Wermacht soldiers armoured vehicle training but, after the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, was given a new lease of life as a barracks for prisoners of war.
Initially housed in ramshackle huts, the camp, known as Stalag XI-B, swiftly expanded and was later used for military prisoners from Belgium and France, as well as the Soviet Union.
Expanded further throughout 1941 and 42, the complex eventually came to include four separate camps, most holding Soviet prisoners in conditions so appalling that more than 50,000 died by the end of the War.
In April 1943, parts of the camp were redesignated as an Aufenthaltslager or holding camp for Jewish prisoners whose fate, in theory, was to be exchanged for German nationals captured by Allied Forces.
Liberation: The camp was eventually liberated by British troops in April 1945 as they advanced towards Berlin
Tragic: When the British arrived, they were confronted by the sight of more than 10,000 dead bodies and thousands of starving people
Horror: The most famous victim of Bergen-Belsen is Anne Frank who was just 15 years old when she died in February or March 1945
Victims: In total, around 80,000 people, among them Soviet prisoners, Jews, homosexuals and gypsies, perished at Bergen-Belsen
Preparation: Bees had to be removed from one of the graves in advance of the Queen's visit. The small pebbles have been placed around the edges of the grave as part of a Jewish tradition that encourages people to leave them there as a sign of respect and love for the deceased
14,600 Jews, among them more than 2,000 children, were sent there between 1943 and March 1944, when the camp was repurposed again, this time as a Erholungslager - an evacuation camp for Jews marched away from the Polish death camps in the face of the advancing Red Army.
Other Jews were sent there direct, among them diarist Anne Frank who, with her sister Margot, was one of the 9,000 women interred in the specialist women's camp.
By the beginning of 1945, the population of the camp had soared to 60,000 as thousands of exhausted, emaciated prisoners arrived at the end of forced death marches from the eastern network of death camps.
Diseases such as typhus and cholera decimated the survivors and as a result, when the British Army arrived to liberate Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, the men were confronted with the sight of 10,000 dead bodies left unburied on the ground.
Despite the best efforts of medics, more died in the following weeks as the impact of years of starvation took their toll. In total, at least 30,000 Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and other 'undesirables' died there.
The trip came at the end of the Queen's three-day state visit to Germany which had earlier seen her waved off in Berlin by a crowd of thousands of excited well-wishers.
Royal encounter: Her Majesty smiles as she meets five-year-old Konrad Thelen who had come dressed as a king
Favourite: The Queen was very taken with this proffered teddybear but declined to accept the gift
Surrounded: The Queen smiles at Mayor Michael Mueller as she meets well-wishers in the Pariser Platz
Ready to go: The car was waiting on the other side of Pariser Platz close to the Brandenburg Gate
Stunning: The iconic Berlin landmark used to form part of the dividing line separating the Communist East from the West
On her way: The Queen climbs into the official car, which was flying the Royal Standard, followed by the Duke of Edinburgh
Driving away: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are given a rousing send off by the assembled crowds
INSIDE BERGEN-BELSEN: THE NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMP WHERE 80,000 'UNDESIRABLES' DIED
Cruel: A photo taken by a Nazi guard in the camp's heyday showing a group of SS officers cutting off the side-locks of a prisoner
Bergen-Belsen began life in 1935 when the Nazi military selected a site near the small village of Belsen, close to the town of Bergen in Lower Saxony, for a new training complex.
Completed in 1937, it was used to give Wermacht soldiers armoured vehicle training but, after the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, was given a new lease of life as a barracks for prisoners of war.
Initially housed in ramshackle huts, the camp, known as Stalag XI-B, swiftly expanded and was later used for military prisoners from Belgium and France, as well as the Soviet Union.
Expanded further throughout 1941 and 42, the complex eventually came to include four separate camps, most holding Soviet prisoners in conditions so appalling that more than 50,000 died by the end of the War.
In April 1943, parts of the camp were redesignated as an Aufenthaltslager or holding camp for Jewish prisoners whose fate, in theory, was to be exchanged for German nationals captured by Allied Forces.
14,600 Jews, among them more than 2,000 children, were sent there between 1943 and March 1944, when the camp was repurposed again, this time as a Erholungslager - an evacuation camp for Jews marched away from the Polish death camps in the face of the advancing Red Army.
Other Jews were sent there direct, among them diarist Anne Frank who, with her sister Margot, was one of the 9,000 women interred in the specialist women's camp.
By the beginning of 1945, the population of the camp had soared to 60,000 as thousands of exhausted, emaciated prisoners arrived at the end of forced death marches from the eastern network of death camps.
Diseases such as typhus and cholera decimated the survivors and as a result, when the British Army arrived to liberate Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, the men were confronted with the sight of 10,000 dead bodies left unburied on the ground.
Despite the best efforts of medics, more died in the following weeks as the impact of years of starvation took their toll. In total, at least 30,000 Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and other 'undesirables' died there.
British troops forcing female SS members of Bergen-Belsen to unload the corpses of their victims for burial in a mass grave
Belsen, which occupies a stretch of Lower Saxony countryside, began life as a Soviet prisoner of war camp but was turned into a prison for Jews in 1943 and was also used to house 'evacuees' brought from Auschwitz as the Red Army of Russia advanced.
Her Majesty, who lived through World War II and was evacuated to Windsor Castle during the Blitz, was making her first visit to the Nazi camp and was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, who spent the war fighting with the Royal Navy.
During the visit, the Queen met with some of the Jewish survivors of the camp as well as men from the British VIII Corps which liberated Bergen-Belsen on the 15th April 1945.
Although few of the original buildings remain, the site now houses a memorial to the victims where the Queen, accompanied by Jens-Christian Wagner, laid a wreath in their memory.
Jewish groups have welcomed the visit, with many using the moment to emphasise the importance of remembering the Holocaust and ensuring that nothing like it happens again.
Speaking in advance of the trip, Bernard Levy, one of the men who helped liberate Bergen-Belsen, described the Queen's visit as 'fitting' and said it would encourage younger people to listen to survivors' stories.
The Queen's tribute to victims of the Holocaust: Her Majesty lays a wreath during tour of Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen
The Queen has visited the site of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany's Lower Saxony
Her Majesty driven there from the town of Celle and laid a wreath at the foot of a memorial for its 80,000 victims
The most famous of those incarcerated there was Anne Frank who was just 15 when she died from typhus
Bergen-Belsen was liberated by the British Army in April 1945, shortly after Miss Frank lost her life
By Rebecca English In Berlin For Mailonline and Ruth Styles for MailOnline
26 June 2015
Daily Mail
It is the final resting place of more than 80,000 people murdered by the Nazis and, today, the Queen visited the site of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to pay tribute to those who lost their lives there.
Belsen, which occupies a stretch of Lower Saxony countryside, began life as a Soviet prisoner of war camp but was turned into a prison for Jews in 1943 and was also used to house 'evacuees' brought from Auschwitz as the Red Army of Russia advanced.
Her Majesty, who lived through World War II and was evacuated to Windsor Castle during the Blitz, was making her first visit to the Nazi camp and was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, who spent the war fighting with the Royal Navy.
Remembrance: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh lay a wreath at the foot of the memorial to the victims of Bergen-Belsen
Historic: The visit to the Nazi concentration camp by the Queen has been hailed by survivors and Jewish groups
As one: Unusually, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, both of whom lived through World War II themselves, laid the wreath together
During the visit, the Queen met with some of the Jewish survivors of the camp as well as men from the British VIII Corps which liberated Bergen-Belsen on the 15th April 1945.
Although few of the original buildings remain, the site now houses a memorial to the victims where the Queen, accompanied by Jens-Christian Wagner, laid a wreath in their memory.
Jewish groups have welcomed the visit, with many using the moment to emphasise the importance of remembering the Holocaust and ensuring that nothing like it happens again.
Speaking in advance of the trip, Bernard Levy, one of the men who helped liberate Bergen-Belsen, described the Queen's visit as 'fitting' and said it would encourage younger people to listen to survivors' stories.
'It is fitting the queen should go,' said Mr Levy, 89, who was a 19-year-old British Army corporal at the time of the camp's liberation.
'Holocaust education is so paramount, and many kids of today don't really know about it. The Queen going there lends credence.'
He said many who saw the horrors at the camp, or suffered as prisoners, tried to put the experience behind them but are now finding that they want to talk about it.
Stories: The Queen and Prince Philip speak to survivors and soldiers (L-R) Doreen Levy, Captain Eric Brown and Anita Lasker-Wallfisch
Derelict: Few of the camp buildings now remain, with the site left to revert to heath-land following the end of the war
Poignant: The royal couple are shown around the camp by Bergen-Belsen's memorial director, Jens-Christian Wagner
Memorial: The memorial at Belsen was erected in 1946 and inaugurated in 1952 in a ceremony watched by then President Theodor Heuss
Sombre: The Queen, who lived through World War II herself, appeared deeply affected by the visit to the concentration camp
Mr Levy, who works for the Holocaust Educational Trust, added: 'After 70 years, there's been a revival of people who want to say something before they die.'
Bergen-Belsen began life in 1935 when the Nazi military selected a site near the small village of Belsen, close to the town of Bergen in Lower Saxony, for a new training complex.
Completed in 1937, it was used to give Wermacht soldiers armoured vehicle training but, after the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, was given a new lease of life as a barracks for prisoners of war.
Initially housed in ramshackle huts, the camp, known as Stalag XI-B, swiftly expanded and was later used for military prisoners from Belgium and France, as well as the Soviet Union.
Expanded further throughout 1941 and 42, the complex eventually came to include four separate camps, most holding Soviet prisoners in conditions so appalling that more than 50,000 died by the end of the War.
In April 1943, parts of the camp were redesignated as an Aufenthaltslager or holding camp for Jewish prisoners whose fate, in theory, was to be exchanged for German nationals captured by Allied Forces.
Tragic: When the British arrived, they were confronted by the sight of more than 10,000 dead bodies and thousands of starving people
Horror: The most famous victim of Bergen-Belsen is Anne Frank who was just 15 years old when she died in February or March 1945
Victims: In total, around 80,000 people, among them Soviet prisoners, Jews, homosexuals and gypsies, perished at Bergen-Belsen
Preparation: Bees had to be removed from one of the graves in advance of the Queen's visit. The small pebbles have been placed around the edges of the grave as part of a Jewish tradition that encourages people to leave them there as a sign of respect and love for the deceased
14,600 Jews, among them more than 2,000 children, were sent there between 1943 and March 1944, when the camp was repurposed again, this time as a Erholungslager - an evacuation camp for Jews marched away from the Polish death camps in the face of the advancing Red Army.
Other Jews were sent there direct, among them diarist Anne Frank who, with her sister Margot, was one of the 9,000 women interred in the specialist women's camp.
By the beginning of 1945, the population of the camp had soared to 60,000 as thousands of exhausted, emaciated prisoners arrived at the end of forced death marches from the eastern network of death camps.
Diseases such as typhus and cholera decimated the survivors and as a result, when the British Army arrived to liberate Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, the men were confronted with the sight of 10,000 dead bodies left unburied on the ground.
Despite the best efforts of medics, more died in the following weeks as the impact of years of starvation took their toll. In total, at least 30,000 Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and other 'undesirables' died there.
The trip came at the end of the Queen's three-day state visit to Germany which had earlier seen her waved off in Berlin by a crowd of thousands of excited well-wishers.
Royal encounter: Her Majesty smiles as she meets five-year-old Konrad Thelen who had come dressed as a king
Favourite: The Queen was very taken with this proffered teddybear but declined to accept the gift
Driving away: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are given a rousing send off by the assembled crowds
INSIDE BERGEN-BELSEN: THE NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMP WHERE 80,000 'UNDESIRABLES' DIED
Cruel: A photo taken by a Nazi guard in the camp's heyday showing a group of SS officers cutting off the side-locks of a prisoner
Bergen-Belsen began life in 1935 when the Nazi military selected a site near the small village of Belsen, close to the town of Bergen in Lower Saxony, for a new training complex.
Completed in 1937, it was used to give Wermacht soldiers armoured vehicle training but, after the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, was given a new lease of life as a barracks for prisoners of war.
Initially housed in ramshackle huts, the camp, known as Stalag XI-B, swiftly expanded and was later used for military prisoners from Belgium and France, as well as the Soviet Union.
Expanded further throughout 1941 and 42, the complex eventually came to include four separate camps, most holding Soviet prisoners in conditions so appalling that more than 50,000 died by the end of the War.
In April 1943, parts of the camp were redesignated as an Aufenthaltslager or holding camp for Jewish prisoners whose fate, in theory, was to be exchanged for German nationals captured by Allied Forces.
14,600 Jews, among them more than 2,000 children, were sent there between 1943 and March 1944, when the camp was repurposed again, this time as a Erholungslager - an evacuation camp for Jews marched away from the Polish death camps in the face of the advancing Red Army.
Other Jews were sent there direct, among them diarist Anne Frank who, with her sister Margot, was one of the 9,000 women interred in the specialist women's camp.
By the beginning of 1945, the population of the camp had soared to 60,000 as thousands of exhausted, emaciated prisoners arrived at the end of forced death marches from the eastern network of death camps.
Diseases such as typhus and cholera decimated the survivors and as a result, when the British Army arrived to liberate Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, the men were confronted with the sight of 10,000 dead bodies left unburied on the ground.
Despite the best efforts of medics, more died in the following weeks as the impact of years of starvation took their toll. In total, at least 30,000 Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and other 'undesirables' died there.
British troops forcing female SS members of Bergen-Belsen to unload the corpses of their victims for burial in a mass grave
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