-
Germany establishes Dachau
Dachau was the first concentration camp and was intended for political prisoners. Dachau was the only concentration camp to remain in operation during the entire period of Nazi rule. -
German Parliament Passes Nuremberg Race Laws
These laws formalized many of the Nazi ideas about race and provided the legal power for the persecution of the Jews. -
Buchenwald Concentration Camp Opens
Buchenwald was one of the largest concentration camps within German borders. Most early prisoners were political, but after Kristallnacht, almost 10,000 Jews were sent to Buchenwald, -
German Jewish Passports Invalidated
Jewish passports were declared invalid, and Jews began having to identify themselves in ways that indicated they were Jewish. -
Kristallnacht-The Night of Broken Glass
Jewish homes, temples, and businesses were attacked by German citizens throughout Nazi Germany. More than 7000 Jewish businesses were damaged or destroyed and over 1,000 synagogues were burned. The Night of Broken Glass refers to all of the broken glass that was left after the riots -
Auschwitz was established
Auschwitz was the largest of the concentration camps. It is estimated that 1.3 million people were sent to the camp, of which just over 1 million died. Around 90 percent of those killed were Jewish and more than 1 in 6 Jews killed in the Holocaust died at Auschwitz -
Warsaw Ghetto Ordered Sealed
More than 350,000 Jews were confined in the ghetto. -
Jews required to wear badge
German authorities required all Jews over 6 to wear a yellow Star of David to identify themselves. -
Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp Opened
Auschwitz-Birkenau, or Auschwitz II was originally opened to house Russian POWs, but eventually became a killing center. -
Gassing Begins at Treblinka
The SS begins gassing at Treblinka and kills and estimated 925,000 Jews. -
Allies statement on mass murder
Governments of Allies nations issue a statement that clearly accused the Germans of engaging in mass murder of European Jews. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto fought and resisted German efforts to clear the ghetto to send the remaining residents to concentration camps. The uprising lasted for almost a month. -
Russian Troops Liberate Auschwitz
Russian troops liberate the Auschwitz concentration camp, freeing more than 6000 prisoners. Many of the camp prisoners had already been forced out of the camp on death marches. -
Americans liberate Dachau
American forces liberated over 30,000 prisoners from Dachau. There were almost 32,000 documented deaths, and countless undocumented deaths at the camp. Prior to American liberation, many prisoner were taken from the camp on forced death marches. -
Germany Surrenders
German forces unconditionally surrender. -
Nuremberg Trials Begin
The International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany begins and major Nazi leaders were accused of war crimes. -
Nuremberg Trial Verdicts Returned
12 leading Nazi officials were sentenced to death. officials to death for crimes committed during the Nazi regime, three defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, four defendants were sentences to terms ranging from 10 to 20 years, and three defendants were acquitted.
