Part III – Neutral Zone | photo
 Neutrale Zone, 2007, photo, 100 x 65 cm
Email by Dr. Ley, Memorial Site of Konzentrationslager Sachsenhausen, May 2006: Dear Ms Ammon, (…) I can well imagine that it must be quite difficult to learn that a member of onEnlistment in the “Death’s Head” units was first followed by three to six months of basic training, which was primarily military but also ideological in nature. This training was heavily drill-oriented. It was soon followed by sentry duty, though soldiers would ideally have completed machine-gun training first. In addition to sentry duty, the men could also have been assigned to guard strategic assets (e.g. the barracks compound in Oranienburg, various properties in Berlin). At the subcamps, in particular, they also took on duties that were handled by the members of the command staff at the main camps. In 1938 some of the guard details were also briefly used in the invasion of Austria and the Sudetenland. It is also conceivable that such temporary deployments took place during the war as well. However, this can probably no longer be verified, due to the poor condition of the historical records (the SS purposely destroyed their documents shortly before the end of the war). Unfortunately I can tell you nothing more. I hope that this small amount of information has nonetheless been helpful. Yours sincerely, Astrid Ley |