Laurahütte

The area of the Laura steelworks. The subcamp was located in the area in the upper part of this image, north of the road.

Laurahutte was established inside the steelworks in Siemianowice Śląskie, owned by the massive company Rheinmetall Borsig AG, based in Dusseldorf. It opened in early 1944 with an initial transport of 200 prisoners to the site, the majority of whom were French and Dutch Jews. However, more prisoners arrived at the site over the course of subsequent months, rising to 550 by summer 1944 and 937 by the time of the sub-camp's evacuation. 

The prisoners were held inside the factory grounds, sleeping on three-tier bunks with access to a kitchen barracks, an infirmary and a storehouse. The sub-camp was surrounded by a three-metre high wall with barbed wire along the top and guard towers at the corners. It was commanded by SS-Oberscharfuhrer Walter Quakernack. The guards consisted of a small number of SS men with the majority being coastal artillery soldiers commanded by Obermat Adamczyk. The work at the camp entailed manufacture of double flak gun units. The camp was evacuated in January 1945 when the prisoners were loaded aboard a train and taken to Mauthausen.

The subcamp area before demolition

Subcamp area seen from beyond the boundary fence, immediately identifiable as camp fencing due to the curved concrete fence posts

Subcamp area after demolition







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