IMPACT

Gate of Mauthausen Camp. Courtesy of Jewish Virtual Library.

Liberation

In an attempt to keep the women as prisoners, in early March, SS agents began transporting the Ravensbrück inmates to other locations, such as the Mauthausen and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. By late April, they had gone from their original 45,000 female prisoners to 25,600. This spontaneous evacuation had been brutal as all women had to travel on foot even though some of these camps had been over 680 kilometers away. Fortunately, Soviet forces saved one of these evacuation groups, liberating a portion of the prisoners traveling to northern Mecklenberg, Germany. By May 1, the last of the inmates left at Ravensbrück were liberated.

Block 13 of the prisoner's camp in Bergen-Belsen. Courtesy of Frank Falla Archive.

Trials

The medical staff and other offenders of Ravensbrück were persecuted in the Nuremberg trials. The legal proceedings were held in the city of Nuremberg in the hopes of symbolizing the end of the Nazi Party’s reign as the city was the epicenter of some of the party’s propaganda rallies throughout the early 20th century. The Ravensbrück employees were tried in the 12 additional trials that occurred from December 1946 and April 1949 formerly known as the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials. In all, there were 177 defendants but in regards to Ravensbrück, reports on the exact number of prosecutions varied. However, to our understanding, these defendants were tried in British, Polish, and East German courts.

Footage of the Medical Case, one of twelve trials of the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials. Defendants from Ravensbrück - Fritz Fischer and Herta Oberhauser - face court. Courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

An excerpt from the documentary, "Saving the Rabbits of Ravenbrück." Courtesy of Rememberravensbrück.com.

Martha Hall Kelly and Caroline Ferriday

The women of Ravenbrück are remembered through author Martha Hall Kelly in her book Lilac Girls. Kelly's story also explores the efforts of Caroline Ferriday, who established her house to be a safe rehabilitation for the survivors and brought many to America. Lilac Girls encapsulates the strength and resilience of the Ravensbrück inmates, particularly through their ability to overcome such challenges at the camp. Kelly brilliantly spread word of the horrific events to a wider audience, simultaneously inspiring readers to face obstacles in life as courageously as women of the past have.

Lilac Girls. Courtesy of Goodreads.