Austria's Concentration Camp Tour: A Sobering Experience

Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938, and the Mauthausen concentration camp was established shortly after. The camp was built near an abandoned stone quarry along the Danube River, and it became the main Nazi camp in Austria. During the war, forced labour using concentration camp prisoners became increasingly important to German armaments production.

Today, Mauthausen is a memorial and museum, and it is possible to take a day trip from Vienna to tour the former camp. Visitors can see the Wiener-Graben quarry, the prisoners' barracks, the 'Stairs of Death', the gas chamber, and the camp prison.

Mauthausen Concentration Camp

The Mauthausen Concentration Camp was established in the summer of 1938, after the German annexation of Austria. Located about three miles from the town of Mauthausen in Upper Austria, the camp was built near an abandoned stone quarry, 12.5 miles southeast of Linz, on the bank of the Danube River.

Mauthausen was the main Nazi camp in Austria, and it was designated a category III camp, indicating that it was a special penal camp with a harsh regime. The camp was at the centre of a system of over 40 subcamps and was the primary site of political, social, and racist persecution by the National Socialist regime on Austrian territory.

During its operation from 1938 to 1945, an estimated 197,464 prisoners passed through the Mauthausen camp system, with at least 95,000 people dying there. The camp authorities used various methods of killing, including gas chambers, shooting, hanging, and harsh living conditions. The camp was liberated by US forces in May 1945.

Today, the Mauthausen Memorial serves as a place of memory and education, aiming to ensure public awareness of the history of the camp and its subcamps, honour the memory of the victims, and hold perpetrators and onlookers accountable. Visitors can access educational services, exhibitions, and memorials at the site, as well as a free audio guide app available in 12 languages.

Gusen Branch Camp

The Gusen concentration camp was a subcamp of the Mauthausen concentration camp, located between the villages of Sankt Georgen an der Gusen and Langenstein in Upper Austria. The Gusen camp was established in December 1939, with the first prisoners arriving in April or May 1940. It was originally intended to hold around 6,000 inmates, which was a larger capacity than the main camp in Mauthausen.

Initially, prisoners at Gusen were used as forced labourers in the nearby quarries, producing granite, freestone, paving stone, and gravel. The camp was populated primarily by Polish prisoners, but there were also large numbers of Spanish Republicans, Soviet citizens, Italians, and other nationalities. Conditions at Gusen were harsh and life expectancy for prisoners was as short as six months. Between 1940 and 1942, prisoners were killed systematically in their thousands, or they died as a result of the inhumane conditions.

In 1943, the camp's purpose shifted towards armaments production for companies like Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG and Messerschmitt GmbH. This led to a temporary improvement in conditions and a decrease in mortality rates. However, prisoners were now forced to work in underground factories and tunnels, with constant abuse and under massive time pressure.

To accommodate the growing number of prisoners, the camp was expanded in March 1944 with the addition of Gusen II. Living conditions in this new section were described by survivors as catastrophic. Overall, around 71,000 people were deported to Gusen, and approximately 36,000 of them did not survive.

On May 5, 1945, the Gusen concentration camp was liberated by the US Army. By this point, many prisoners were in a weakened state, and some still died in the days and weeks following liberation.

Wiener-Graben Quarry

The Wiener-Graben Quarry was the site of the Mauthausen concentration camp, one of the most brutal and severe of the Nazi concentration camps. Mauthausen was established in 1938 by the SS-founded Deutsche Erd und Steinwerke GmbH (DESt) as a quarry with 30 workers. The site was chosen because of its proximity to the quarry and its proximity to Linz. The quarry was owned by the City of Vienna and rented by DESt, which was led by Oswald Pohl, a high-ranking Schutzstaffel (SS) official.

The Wiener-Graben Quarry was the scene of forced labour and brutal working conditions that led to exceptionally high mortality rates among the prisoners. Prisoners were forced to carry heavy blocks of stone up 186 steps, known as the "Stairs of Death", with those who collapsed creating a domino effect as they fell on top of each other. The harsh conditions were exacerbated by limited food rations, with the average energy content of food dropping to between 600 and 1,000 calories a day—less than a third of the energy needed by an average worker in heavy industry.

In addition to the forced labour in the quarry, Mauthausen also included munitions factories, mines, arms factories, and plants assembling Me 262 fighter aircraft. The camp was liberated by the United States Army in May 1945, and it is now a museum.

Stairs of Death

The Mauthausen concentration camp was established in 1938 in Austria, following the German annexation of the country. The camp was located on the bank of the Danube River, near the Wiener Graben stone quarry, and was built to incarcerate "traitors to the people from all over Austria".

The Stairs of Death, also known as the "Stairway of Death" or the Wiener Graben, was a central part of the horrors of the Mauthausen camp. The 186 steps leading from the camp quarry became synonymous with the cruelty and inhumanity inflicted on prisoners.

Prisoners were forced to carry large blocks of granite, often weighing around 50 kilograms, up the steep staircase. The blocks were roughly hewn, with sharp edges, and the prisoners were made to climb one behind the other. This cruel practice often resulted in a domino effect, with exhausted prisoners collapsing and falling on top of those below. Many prisoners died as a result of this forced labour, either from the intense physical exertion or from being crushed by the falling blocks.

The SS guards added to the torment by creating sadistic competitions, betting on which prisoner would reach the top first. Those who survived this ordeal were then forced to jump from the edge of the quarry to their deaths, in a spot known as "The Parachute Jump".

The Stairs of Death were not just a means of inflicting physical torture; they also served as a tool for psychological abuse. The SS guards would force prisoners to race up the stairs carrying the heavy stone blocks, pushing them beyond their physical limits. Those who managed to survive this test would then be lined up at the edge of a cliff known as "The Parachutists Wall". Here, they were given the choice between being shot or pushing the prisoner in front of them off the cliff.

The Mauthausen camp and its Stairs of Death represent one of the darkest chapters in Austrian history. The cruelty and inhumanity inflicted on prisoners serve as a stark reminder of the atrocities committed during the Nazi regime.

Mauthausen Museum

The Mauthausen Museum is a memorial site and museum located in Austria, commemorating the victims and preserving the history of the Mauthausen concentration camp. Here is some essential information about the museum:

History of the Camp

The Mauthausen concentration camp was established in 1938 by the Nazi regime, several months after the German annexation of Austria. The camp was built near the town of Mauthausen, about 12.5 miles southeast of Linz, and was chosen due to its proximity to a granite quarry and Linz. The camp was controlled by the German state and founded by a private company, German Earth and Stone Works Inc. (DEST), as an economic enterprise.

Mauthausen was designated as a special penal camp, or a Category III camp, indicating a harsh regimen for inmates. The camp was known for its brutal conditions, forced labour, and high mortality rates. Inmates were subjected to back-breaking work in the nearby stone quarry, where they were forced to carry heavy granite blocks up the infamous ""Stairway of Death", consisting of 186 steps.

The Museum Today

The Mauthausen main camp was liberated by the United States Army on May 5, 1945, and it is now a museum and memorial site. The Mauthausen Memorial Virtual Guide provides online access to the site and its history. The site is open to the public, and access is free of charge. Guided tours in English are available, and there are various educational programmes and workshops offered.

The museum features exhibits that provide a glimpse into the harsh reality of the camp, including photographs, descriptions of killings, and artefacts. The site also includes a memorial room, the "Room of Names", honouring the victims of the camp.

Visitor Information

The Mauthausen Memorial is generally open from Tuesday to Sunday, with specific opening hours listed on their website. It is closed on Mondays, except for International Holocaust Memorial Day. The site provides important visitor information, such as the availability of parking and public transportation options.

A Place of Remembrance

The Mauthausen Museum stands as a testament to the atrocities committed during the Nazi regime and serves as a reminder of the suffering endured by the inmates. It is a place for remembrance, honouring the victims and educating visitors about this dark chapter in history.

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