Hitler dies as Soviet forces enter Berlin

Soviet troops entered the Auschwitz camp complex and found about 7,000 surviving prisoners, many gravely ill. The SS had forced most prisoners on death marches westward; liberation exposed the scale...

US troops liberated Ohrdruf, a Buchenwald subcamp, and encountered evidence of mass death and prisoners murdered shortly before liberation. The visit by senior Allied officers helped bring public...

American forces reached Buchenwald after prisoners had organized resistance and taken control of parts of the camp. Liberation exposed mass death and extreme abuse; prisoners were not all...

British troops liberated Bergen-Belsen and found tens of thousands of prisoners suffering from starvation and disease. Thousands died after liberation despite emergency relief, showing that freedom...

US forces entered Dachau and found thousands of prisoners, many gravely ill, and evidence of mass death. Liberation opened a period of medical emergency and survivor displacement rather than an...

US troops reached Mauthausen as the camp system disintegrated. Survivors faced severe illness and the loss of family and community; many could not safely return to their prewar homes.

Germany’s unconditional surrender took effect in Europe, ending the war there. About six million Jews had been murdered by Nazi Germany and its allies and collaborators; survivors faced family loss,...

The White House released Earl Harrison’s report on Jewish displaced persons. Based on his August visit, it criticized Allied treatment, urged improved conditions and distinct recognition of Jewish...

The International Military Tribunal began trials of leading Nazi officials on charges including crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The proceedings established a postwar...

The small Jewish displaced-persons camp opened to provide additional space for refugees from the overcrowded Zeilsheim camp. Survivors rebuilt communal life through schools, religious and cultural...