The centrality of railways in the German concentration camp system: Jewish slave labourers' relocation experiences.

This article examines the critical role of railways in sustaining the Nazi concentration camp system during the Third Reich, focusing on the experiences of Jewish slave labourers. Using survivor testimonies, Nazi administrative records, and transport lists, it traces the deportation and subsequent relocations of Dutch Jews from a single transport on 19 May 1944, illustrating how frequent prisoner transfers by train were integral to the SS camp network's operation. The study highlights the harsh conditions endured during these transfers, including sensory assaults and the uncertainty faced by inmates, as well as the deadly "death trains" during the war's final months when prisoners were evacuated under brutal circumstances. The article concludes that without the extensive European rail infrastructure, the Nazis could not have maintained the concentration camp system or exploited forced labour, and it calls for further research into the bureaucratic and economic mechanisms behind prisoner relocations.