Wahlgrab

Wahlgrab is a term used in German to describe a type of mass grave, typically found in the context of the Holocaust. The term translates to "election grave," and it refers to the practice of burying victims of the Nazi regime in mass graves, often in areas that were not immediately visible or accessible to the public. This strategy was employed to conceal the true extent of the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

The term "Wahlgrab" was coined by the German historian Hans-Adolf Jacobsen in his 1982 book "Die Wahlgräber." Jacobsen argued that the Nazis deliberately chose locations for these mass graves that were not easily accessible or visible, such as forests, swamps, or remote areas. This tactic was intended to prevent the discovery of the graves and to obscure the scale of the Nazi atrocities.

Wahlgrab sites are often characterized by their clandestine nature and the difficulty in locating them. They are typically marked by simple wooden crosses or other unobtrusive markers, and the bodies are often buried in shallow graves or simply dumped in mass pits. The practice of Wahlgrab is a stark reminder of the systematic and deliberate efforts by the Nazis to hide their crimes from the world.