Bergen - Belsen Timeline 1946 - Today

Year Month Date Timeline
1946      
Jan    
  Official total of Jewish DP's in Bergen-Hohne stands at 9000.
Mar    
  British transfer administration of Bergen-Hohne to UNRRA.
Apr    
15 Unveiling of the Jewish memorial.
Jun    
  British announce no further registration of new DP's after 01 July 1946 in the British Zone.
Soviet memorial erected at the cemetery for prisoners of war at Hörsten.
16 2nd Belsen trial begins at 30 Lindenstraße, Lüneburg and Celle.
30 2nd Belsen trial ends. Walter Konrad Quakernack, Kasimir Cegielski, Karl Reddehase and Heinz Lüder Heidemann sentenced to death.
Aug    
  Official total of Jewish DP's in Bergen-Hohne stands at 11139.
An estimated 1064 DP's arrive in Bergen-Belsen DP Camp as part of 'Operation Swallow'
Oct    
11 Death sentence carried at Hameln Prison on Walter Konrad Quakernack, Kasimir Cegielski, Karl Reddehase and Heinz Lüder Heidemann
Nov    
  Official total of Jewish DP's in Bergen-Hohne stands at 10600 includes 7000 from Poland, 1400 from Romania and 1100 from Hungary.
1947      
    Erection begins of the Obelisk and the Wall of Inscriptions by orders of the British military government
Feb    
  British government hands the mandate to Palestine over to the United Nations.
Official total of Jewish DP's in Bergen-Hohne stands at 10867.
2 Hamburg Allgemein Zeitung headlines 'Bergen-Belsen, Centre of Black Market'
Apr    
  210 pregnant women live in Bergen-Hohne
615 children under the age of 6 live in Bergen-Hohne
1 As part of 'Operation Grand National' the first group of 395 people from Belsen leave Borcholt transit camp en route to Palestine
Aug    
  Official total of Jewish DP's in Bergen-Hohne stands at 8810.
Dec    
  Official total of Jewish DP's in Bergen-Hohne stands at 7877.
1948      
Feb    
  British Inteligence intercept a truck carry a large quantity of contraband cigarettes destined for Bergen-Hohne. The German driver states that he has made three previous deliveries totalling 13 million cigarettes in all. Consequently the British raid Bergen-Hohne DP camp but find little evidence of black market activity.
Mar    
22 The Star claims that Bergen-Hohne DP camp is the centre of large scale racketeering in Germany and a junction in the underground trading route to Palestine.
Apr    
  Official total of Jewish DP's in Bergen-Hohne stands at 8124.
16 3rd Belsen Trial begins at Hamburg.
May    
14 Israel declares independence.
Oct    
  Official total of Jewish DP's in Bergen-Hohne stands at 6870.
1949      
Mar    
  Official total of Jewish DP's in Bergen-Hohne stands at 4679.
1950      
     
April   The 'Wohnlager' (Neu Hohne) population stands at 280
Sep 6 Last remaining former internees at Bergen-Hohne DP camp leave.
1951      
Aug    
  Last remaining DP's leave Bergen-Hohne.
1952      
    Responsibility for the Bergen-Belsen Memorial is handed over to Land Niedersachsen.
1953      
Oct    
  The 'Wohnlager' (Neu Hohne) is finally vacated and the remaining buildings are either demolished or transported elswhere.
1966      
    Document Centre opens
1973      
Nov    
24 Brigadier Hugh Llewelyn Glyn-Hughes C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C. dies in his sleep.
1990      
Apr    
  Document Centre extended.
2000      
Apr    
  Haus Der Stille (House of Silence) opens.
2007      
Apr    
  Clearing of undergrowth begins as part of the Gedenkstätte redesign.
Oct    
28 New Document Centre opens.
2015      
  Apr   Dutch researchers claim to have found an additional mass grave at Belsen