During the Nazi regime, there was no concentration camp where more Luxembourgish citizens were imprisoned than in Hinzert. After World War II, the Hinzert concentration camp was dismantled with parts of it being sold off to various buyers. Now, a part of that camp, namely a barrack, has found its way to Luxembourg, marking a poignant end to a painful history.
From 1 March, a barrack from the concentration camp will be on display at a permanent exhibition in the National Resistance and Human Rights Museum in Esch-sur-Alzette. In the 1950s, there were plans to bring parts of the prison barrack to Luxembourg, but they were never followed through, according to Elisabeth Hoffmann, a historian at the museum.
Hoffmann explained that the parts in question were eventually sold to an entrepreneur in 1953. However, “in 1980 another barrack was discovered. Initially, we thought it’s the same barrack from the 50s, but given the dimensions and size of the new barrack, we concluded that it had to be a different one. After assessing the piece, it was presumed to be an administrational barrack where prisoners had to note down the number tags of prisoners and complete other administrative tasks.”
Whether it truly was an administrational barrack is not fully certain, Hoffman states. What is sure though is that the barrack was discovered in 1988 in Steinfort. The then Minister for Culture Robert Krieps, who himself was a prisoner of Hinzert, declared that the unearthed barrack is a national monument. However, opinions on the project were divided.
Hoffman continues: “Hinzert was divided into two sections: the prison and a separate administrational section where SS officials lived and where prisoners worked too. And the symbolism of that is of course less impactful as a prison barrack. Therefore, a large portion of Steinfort’s residents protested and declared that they do not want an SS barrack.”
On a financial level as well, the barrack’s upkeep no longer made sense. As it gradually fell into disrepair, it was dismantled and then stored in a National Institute for Architectural Heritage depot under a railway bridge. Today, the barrack exhibits various items, such as those created by the prisoners to distract themselves, including a makeshift chessboard.
