April 17, 1945 Russian forces rolled into Furstenberg Germany and liberated Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. The Soviet Army found only about 3,000 sick women there, since the Nazis had sent the other prisoners on a death march. Many women had also been rescued by the Swedish Red Cross after Count Folke Bernadotte convinced Heinrich Himmler to allow them to bus out hundreds of prisoners to Sweden.
Ukrainian and Russian mothers and their children shortly after Ravensbruck’s liberation in April 1945.
Though release from Ravensbruck was a dream realized for many and allowed children who arrived on later transports to avoid the fate of so many others who died in the camp, re-entry into civilian life was often difficult for the women.
Kreuzlingen, Germany, three of 300 women brought from Ravensbruck by the Red Cross
Liberated Ravensbruck prisoners in Copenhagen
Children returned from Ravensbruck
Next weekend on April 17th, 70 years after liberation, I’ll be at Ravensbruck to celebrate the anniversary and remember those who never came home. Hundreds of visitors are expected, including many former prisoners who survived the camp and I’ll be there with a film crew capturing it all. Stay tuned to the blog for updates–it’s bound to be an interesting weekend.
I am so excited to see photos and hear about your trip to the 70th anniversary of Ravensbruck liberation. How fun for you to go spend time there on such an important day, after all the many years of research, time and effort you have put into championing the rabbits and letting their voices be heard and story told.
Have a meaningful trip and PLEASE post soon!