In July 16, 1941 is when everything started to happen at Chelmno, a small town 50 miles from Lodz, it was the first concentration camp. Chelmno was also known as Kulmhof where they exterminated the Jews of Lodz Getto and the Warthegau region. In this paper you will learn why, when it happened, where, who died, how they were killed, and how many.

     Why did the Germans want to get rid of the Jews? They thought that the Jews helped the ailed group during World War 1. The decision to build a new concentration camp was influenced by Heinz- Rolf Hopper’s letter. Hopper was part of the Third Reich in Ponzan. The letter I am talking about stated how to solve all Jewish problems in the Warta Country.

     Herbert Lange was part of the solution. He had already practice with the gas vans. He was transferred from Posen where he had been murdering psychiartic patients for the Germans. Where he used an early molde of the gas van. Then he became the first commander of Chelmno.

     Hauptstumfurer Herbert Lang’s unit consisted of 50-20 men of the SIPO and 80-100 men of the Schutzpolizei. The next commander was Hautstumfurer Hans Johann Bothmann. When did this happen? During the two main periods that Chelmno operated was December 8, 1941 to April 7, 1943 and summer of 1944 to January 18,1945.

      Where was this? The base camp was a run down castle in Chelmno witch was consisting of two parts, administration with barracks, and storage for plundered goods. The second site was where they where buried and cremated people.

       Who was taken to the camp? Jewish deportees where brought to Kolo junction in freight trains. Once in the courtyard they were reassured that they were being brought to a work camp.

      How were they killed? They were taken to in groups of 50 and told to tack off their clothes so they could be disinfected. Many other Jews where forced to sort the clothes for the Germans.

     There was a total of 370 wagon loads of Jewish clothes sent to the Germans. The Jews also had to give up their valuables. Then they were told to go down a ramp in to a van that was 13 by 15 feet long by 6.5feet wide by6.5 feet tall.

     These vans could hold 50-70 people in each van. The doors where shut and carbon monoxide was used to kill them. It took 10 minutes. There were three of these mobile gas chambers.

Kellen Lafferty

7^th Social Studies

Rossville Jr. High

Holocaust Project

Spring 2003

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