List of Holocaust Concentration and Extermination Camps
A map highlighting the major Nazi extermination camps across German-occupied Poland as of 1942—it’s a powerful visual aid to understand their geographical distribution and proximity.
Holocaust Extermination Camps: Timeline & Map Overview
Core Extermination Camps (Industrial-Scale Killing Centers)
- Chełmno (Kulmhof): The first extermination camp. Operated December 1941 – January 1945; ~152,000–200,000 killed using gas vans. (khc.qcc.cuny.edu, Wikipedia)
- Belzec: March – June 1942; ~434,500–600,000 victims. Employed carbon-monoxide gas chambers. (Wikipedia)
- Sobibor: May 1942 – October 1943; ~170,000–250,000 killed. Built solely for mass murder. (Wikipedia)
- Treblinka II: Summer 1942 – August 1943; roughly 700,000–900,000 victims. (WIRED, ThoughtCo)
- Auschwitz II–Birkenau: March 1942 – January 1945; over 1.1 million killed. Massive gas chambers and crematoria. (WIRED)
- Majdanek (KL Lublin): October 1941 – July 1944; ~78,000 victims. Functioned as both a concentration and extermination camp. (Wikipedia)
Allied and Axis-Operated Mass-Killing Sites (Lacking Industrial Infrastructure)
- Jasenovac (Ustaše-run, Independent State of Croatia): August 1941 – April 1945; ~83,000–100,000 killed via brutal direct violence. (Wikipedia)
- (Other sites like Maly Trostenets, Sajmište, KL Warschau, etc., also existed but are not shown on this particular map.)
Timeline Highlights & Context
- The Wannsee Conference (January 20, 1942) formalized the systematic, industrial approach to genocide via gas chambers and rail logistics. (WIRED)
- Extermination camps were specifically built or adapted for mass murder, separating them from traditional concentration or forced labor camps. (The Holocaust Explained)
- Extermination camps were strategically situated near rail lines in occupied Poland to facilitate mass deportations. (WIRED)
Recommended Viewing: Understanding the Camps Geographically
- Chełmno sits west of Warsaw near Łódź.
- Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka II line up from southeast to east-central Poland.
- Auschwitz II–Birkenau is located in Upper Silesia (southern Poland).
- Majdanek lies just east of the main frame, near Lublin—a dual-function camp shown in the map’s cluster.
Final Thoughts
This map, together with the timeline and camp details, vividly illustrates:
- The systematic geographic deployment of extermination centers.
- The speed and coordination of the Nazi genocidal machinery following Wannsee.
- The scale and brutality of each camp’s operations.
