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Hauptlagern

Hauptlagern, the plural form of Hauptlager in German, refers to the main camps within a Nazi concentration or labor camp complex. The term is used in German-language historiography and is often translated as “main camps” or “central camps.” In many camp networks, the Hauptlager served as the administrative center and housed a portion of the inmate population, while numerous Nebenlager (satellite camps) were dispersed to provide specialized labor or to house overflow inmates.

Typically, a Hauptlager contained the central administration, guard units, and facilities associated with the core operations

Historically, the use of the term reflects the c

of
the
network.
Inmates
in
Hauptlager
were
subjected
to
the
same
brutal
repression
as
those
in
Nebenlager,
including
forced
labor
and
punitive
measures.
The
HS
and
SS
personnel
concentrated
in
the
Hauptlager
coordinated
transport,
labor
deployment,
and
security
across
the
entire
camp
system,
making
it
the
administrative
heart
of
the
network.