Esterwegen Archives ⋆ The Passenger

June 9, 2025June 11, 2025

Emslandlager

The Emslandlager were a network of 15 camps established by the Nazi regime in the Emsland and Bentheim regions of northwestern Germany. These camps, including the notable Esterwegen camp, were constructed from 1933 and served various functions over time: they started as concentration camps for political prisoners, then became punitive and prisoner-of-war camps, and later housed a mix of convicts, forced laborers, and military prisoners. The camps were notorious for their harsh conditions and forced labor, particularly the draining and cultivation of the surrounding moorlands, which became a symbol of the inmates’ suffering and resilience.

June 9, 2025June 11, 2025

Die Moorsoldaten

The Zirkus Konzentrazani stands out as a remarkable episode in the early history of Nazi concentration camps, particularly at KZ Börgermoor in the Emsland region. Conceived by the actor and prisoner Wolfgang Langhoff, this ‘concentration camp circus‘ was a bold act of cultural resistance. Prisoners organized a satirical variety show, complete with mock circus acts, humor, music, and dance, cleverly using double meanings to subtly mock their captors and the Nazi regime. The event provided a rare moment of relief and solidarity among the inmates, allowing them to reclaim a sense of humanity and dignity in the face of brutal oppression.