Holocaust History Archived Page

First Jewish transports arrive at Majdanek
April 1942

This camp in Poland first became operational in July of 1941. This camp originally held Russian Prisoners of war, and quickly became a concentration camp with a maximum capacity of 35,000 inmates.

Following the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question" planned at the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942, the Majdanek camp quickly became a detention center for Jews. In April of 1942 the first Jewish arrivals were brought to the camp by train. Most of the Jews sent to the camp were from the Lublin region of Poland and the ghettos of Warsaw and Bialystok.

130,000 Jews were sent to Majdanek between 1942 and 1943 many of whom were women, children and the elderly. 60% were shot or gassed upon arrival.

By July of 1944, when the camp is liberated by Soviet soldiers over 360,000 prisoners had perished.

Just months after liberation, in November of 1944, the camp became a museum; making it the first of its kind.


Watch Towers at Majdanek 1 USHMM, Photograph #65975