Landsberg am Lech: Guide

Landsberg am Lech is a town in the southwest of Bavaria, Germany, about 65 kilometers west of Munich and 35 kilometers south of Augsburg. It is the capital of the district of Landsberg (district)|Landsberg am Lech.

The town is noted for its camps for Jewish refugees after World War II, and the place of execution for more than 150 war criminals after 1945.

It is the birthplace of the Nobel laureate Erwin Neher.

Landsberg Displaced Person camp

The DP camp in Landsberg was established on the grounds of a military camp. By early 1946 there were more than 5,000 residents of the camp. Comprised primarily of Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union and the Baltic states, it developed into one of the most influential DP camps in the Sh'erit ha-Pletah. It housed a Yiddish newspaper (the Yiddishe Zeitung), religious schools, and organizations to promote Jewish religious observance.
The camp was liberated 28 April, 1945 by the 101st Airborne (506th PIR) and the 4th Division of the United States Army. Upon orders from General Taylor, the American forces allowed news media to record the atrocities, and ordered the German civilians and guards to reflect upon the dead and bury them bare-handed. Two young women walked home laughing, and were then made to spend the night among the dead, then assist in the burial of the dead victims.

A number of prominent leaders emerged from the camp, including Samuel Gringauz, who also became the chairman of the Council of the Central Committee of Liberated Jews in the U.S. zone. The camp also served as the headquarters for the Jewish education and training organisation World ORT|ORT.

The camp closed on October 15, 1950.

Notable people

Alois Wolfmüller
Dominikus Zimmermann
Erwin Neher - biologist
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb - World War II field marshal
Luise Rinser - Writer and politician

Twinnings