Lagerältester

Lagerältester, literally "camp elder" in German, was a title used in Nazi concentration camps and other prisoner-of-war facilities to designate a senior prisoner charged with assisting the camp administration in the day-to-day management of inmate life.

Typically elected by fellow prisoners or appointed from among experienced inmates, the Lagerältester acted as a liaison between the inmate population and the SS guards. Their duties included maintaining order within blocks, organizing work details, distributing food and clothing within their block, relaying messages, and mediating disputes. They were expected to enforce camp rules, and could be involved in the implementation of punishments prescribed by the guards. While they could influence matters within the prisoners’ sphere, ultimate authority remained with the SS leadership.

Hierarchy and scope varied by camp. The Lagerältester operated under the supervision of the camp commandant and block leaders such as the Blockführer and Blockältester. In some camps the term referred to the senior prisoner in charge of a whole camp, while in others it described the head of a specific block, with Blockältester handling per-block administration. The exact powers differed across locations and periods.

Impact and historiography. The role illustrates how the Nazi camp system used prisoner functionaries to enforce discipline and facilitate administration, sometimes aiding information flow and granting limited privileges while also placing inmates in situations where they could be complicit in abuses. Postwar scholarship relies on survivor testimonies, camp records, and inventories to reconstruct the duties and limits of the position.

See also Blockältester; prisoner functionaries in Nazi camps.