Note: Nazi concentration camp, situated south of the German towns Bergen and Belsen. Established in 1940, Bergen-Belsen was first a prisoner-of-war camp. In 1943, it became a concentration camp for Jewish prisoners, notorious for its overcrowded and disease-ridden conditions. The camp was liberated by the British in April of 1945 and burned for health reasons shortly thereafter. Approximately 50,000 persons died at the camp during its existence. After liberation, a displaced persons camp was established near the original concentration camp site. The last of the displaced persons left the camp in 1951. A memorial and documentation center is now located on the site.
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