History · Year 11 · The Weimar Republic 1918–1929 · Autumn Term

Concentration Camps Pre-1939

The evolution of the concentration camp system before the outbreak of World War II.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• GCSE: History - Weimar and Nazi Germany

About This Topic

The concentration camp system emerged in 1933 after the Nazis seized power, with Dachau opening as the first camp to detain political opponents such as communists, socialists, and trade unionists. These early facilities served as extralegal prisons to eliminate resistance during the fragile Weimar Republic years. Over time, the system expanded to target a wider range of groups including Jehovah's Witnesses, asocials, criminals, and increasing numbers of Jews after 1938, incorporating forced labour, brutal punishments, and psychological terror to enforce conformity.

This topic aligns with GCSE History standards for Weimar and Nazi Germany, prompting students to explain initial purposes, trace the shift from political detention to instruments of intimidation, and evaluate the camps' role in instilling widespread fear through rumours, arbitrary arrests, and public knowledge of their existence.

Active learning approaches benefit this challenging topic because collaborative source analysis and structured discussions enable students to build arguments from evidence, develop critical empathy for victims, and connect personal fears to societal control, making abstract terror tangible without overwhelming detail.

Key Questions

1. Explain the initial purpose and target groups of the concentration camps before 1939.
2. Analyze how the concentration camp system evolved from political prisons to instruments of terror.
3. Assess the psychological impact of the camps' existence on the wider German population.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the initial groups targeted by concentration camps established before 1939 and explain the stated purpose for their internment.
• Analyze the gradual expansion of the concentration camp system, tracing its evolution from holding political dissidents to wider societal control.
• Evaluate the methods used by the Nazi regime to disseminate information about concentration camps and assess their impact on public awareness and fear.
• Compare the legal status of individuals detained in early concentration camps versus those interned in later stages of the system.

Before You Start

The Treaty of Versailles and its Impact

Why: Understanding the political instability and resentment following World War I is crucial for grasping the context in which the Weimar Republic operated and the rise of extremist groups.

The Rise of Political Extremism in Germany

Why: Students need foundational knowledge of the key political parties and ideologies, including communism, socialism, and nascent Nazism, to understand the initial targets of political repression.

Key Vocabulary

Schutzstaffel (SS)	Initially Hitler's personal bodyguard, the SS grew into a vast organization responsible for state security, including the administration of concentration camps.
Reichstag Fire Decree	Issued after the 1933 Reichstag fire, this decree suspended civil liberties and allowed for the detention of political opponents without trial, facilitating the creation of early camps.
Gleichschaltung	The process of Nazi coordination, aiming to bring all aspects of society under the control of the Nazi Party. Concentration camps were a tool in enforcing this conformity.
Asocials	A broad category used by the Nazis to label individuals deemed undesirable or disruptive to the social order, including vagrants, alcoholics, and those considered racially inferior.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Concentration camps before 1939 targeted only Jews.

What to Teach Instead

Early camps focused on political opponents like communists and socialists to crush resistance. Group source sorts help students categorise targets chronologically, revealing the gradual inclusion of other groups and challenging assumptions through evidence comparison.

Common Misconception

Camps were extermination centres from the start.

What to Teach Instead

Pre-1939 camps emphasised detention, forced labour, and terror, not systematic killing which escalated later. Timeline activities clarify evolution, as students sequence events and conditions, using peer teaching to correct oversimplified views.

Common Misconception

Most Germans were unaware of the camps' existence.

What to Teach Instead

Camps created pervasive fear via rumours, releases of broken prisoners, and media hints. Debate simulations let students role-play societal reactions, building understanding of psychological control through shared evidence analysis.

Active Learning Ideas

Jigsaw: Phases of Camp Evolution

Divide class into expert groups, each assigned a phase (1933 political prisons, 1934-1935 expansion, 1936-1938 terror tools, 1938-1939 pre-war scale). Groups analyse provided sources then regroup to teach peers and co-create a class timeline. Conclude with whole-class synthesis of changes.

50 min·Small Groups

Source Carousel: Targets Over Time

Set up six stations with primary sources (photos, reports, prisoner accounts) on different target groups. Pairs spend 5 minutes per station noting purpose shifts, then return to base to compile evidence into a table. Discuss patterns as a class.

45 min·Pairs

Role Cards: Psychological Impact Debate

Distribute role cards representing ordinary Germans (shopkeeper, teacher, worker). In small groups, students use evidence to argue how camp knowledge affected daily life and compliance. Vote on strongest impacts and link to Nazi control.

40 min·Small Groups

Map It: Camp Network Growth

Provide blank Germany maps. Individuals or pairs plot camp locations from 1933-1939 using data cards, annotating target groups and purposes. Share maps in a gallery walk to assess national psychological reach.

35 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Historians researching the Holocaust, such as those at the Wiener Holocaust Library in London, analyze primary documents and survivor testimonies to reconstruct the history of concentration camps and their victims.
• Legal scholars examining the erosion of civil liberties might study the Reichstag Fire Decree and its immediate aftermath as a case study in how emergency powers can be used to suppress dissent.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'How did the initial purpose of concentration camps differ from their function by 1938?' Ask students to identify at least two distinct target groups and two different reasons for internment for each period, citing evidence from their notes.

Quick Check

Provide students with a short, anonymized quote from a contemporary newspaper or personal letter discussing rumors of arrests or camps. Ask them to write one sentence explaining how this quote reflects the psychological impact of the camps on the German population.

Exit Ticket

On a slip of paper, have students list one specific group targeted by early concentration camps and one specific group targeted by later camps. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining a key difference in the *reason* for their internment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the initial purpose of Nazi concentration camps before 1939?

Camps like Dachau opened in 1933 to detain political enemies such as communists and trade unionists, bypassing legal protections after the Reichstag Fire. This allowed Nazis to neutralise opposition quickly. Students benefit from analysing arrest lists and early reports to see how these sites consolidated one-party rule.

How did the concentration camp system evolve before World War II?

From political prisons in 1933, camps grew to hold diverse 'undesirables' by 1939, with harsher conditions including labour and abuse. Kristallnacht in 1938 marked a surge in Jewish internees. Mapping exercises trace this shift, helping students assess Nazi radicalisation.

What psychological impact did pre-1939 camps have on Germans?

Camps fostered self-censorship through fear of denunciation and arbitrary arrest, even for minor dissent. Public awareness via returning prisoners reinforced Nazi dominance. Role discussions reveal how this terror permeated society, linking to broader totalitarian control.

How can active learning help teach about concentration camps pre-1939?

Hands-on jigsaws and source carousels engage students with evidence, promoting critical analysis over passive reading. Group debates on impacts build empathy and argumentation skills safely. These methods make the topic's sensitivity manageable, as students construct understanding collaboratively, connecting historical fear to modern citizenship.