Blechhammer

Blechhammer
Part of Provinz Schlesien of Greater Germany[1]
Located in Upper Silesia
Blechhammer map of Bahnhofslager/Judenlager
Coordinates	North plant 50°21′N 18°18′E / 50.350°N 18.300°E / 50.350; 18.300 South plant 50°18′N 18°15′E / 50.300°N 18.250°E / 50.300; 18.250 Nearby camps & plants: Korzonek camp Heydebreck plant Cosel plant Odertal plant 50°25′N 18°8′E / 50.417°N 18.133°E / 50.417; 18.133
Site history
In use	1942-1945 (50,000 POWs)
Battles/wars	Oil Campaign of World War II
Events	1944-05: flak guns added [2] 1945-01-21:The March (1945) 1945-01: Soviet occupation [3] Post-war: Area recovered by Poland

External images

Map of oil plants

North damage

BAB 21 group

North plant 50°21′N 18°18′E / 50.350°N 18.300°E / 50.350; 18.300
South plant 50°18′N 18°15′E / 50.300°N 18.250°E / 50.300; 18.250
Nearby camps & plants:
Korzonek camp
Heydebreck plant
Cosel plant

1944-05: flak guns added [2]
1945-01-21:The March (1945)
1945-01: Soviet occupation [3]

The Blechhammer (English: sheet metal hammer) area was the location of Nazi Germany chemical plants, prisoner of war (POW) camps, and forced labor camps (German: Arbeitslager Blechhammer; also Nummernbücher). Labor camp prisoners began arriving as early as June 17, 1942, and in July 1944, 400-500 men were transferred from the Terezin family camp to Blechhammer. The mobile “pocket furnace” (German: Taschenofen) crematorium was at Sławięcice.) and Bau und Arbeits Battalion (BAB, English: Construction Battalion) 21 was a mile from the Blechhammer oil plants and was not far from Kattowitz and Breslau. Blechhammer synthetic oil production began April 1 with 4000 prisoners.[4]