Berga, Thuringia

Berga
Berga
Coordinates
Administration
Country Germany
State Thuringia
District Greiz
Town subdivisions 14
Mayor Stephan Büttner
Basic statistics
Area 43.49 km2 (16.79 sq mi)
Elevation 229 m  (751 ft)
Population 3,539 (31 December 2010)[1]
 - Density 81 /km2 (211 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate GRZ
Postal code 07980
Area code 036623
Website Stadt-Berga.de

Berga/Elster is a town in the district of Greiz, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, 14 km southeast of Gera.

In World War II a Labor camp called "Berga an der Elster"[2] was operated here to dig 17 tunnels for an underground ammunition factory. Workers were supplied by Buchenwald concentration camp and from Stalag IX-B. The latter was in contravention of the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention. Many prisoners died as a result of malnutrition, sickness and beatings.[3] including 73 American POWs [4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bevölkerung nach Gemeinden, erfüllenden Gemeinden und Verwaltungsgemeinschaften" (in German). Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik. 27 June 2011. http://www.statistik.thueringen.de/datenbank/TabAnzeige.asp?tabelle=gg000102%7C%7C. 
  2. ^ "After 63 years, vet learns of brother's death in Nazi slave camp". CNN. 2008-11-20. http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/11/20/worldwar.two.folo/index.html. Retrieved 2008-11-20. 
  3. ^ "New photo: Nazis dig up mass grave of U.S. soldiers". CNN. 2009-04-24. http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/22/berga.folo/index.html?iref=mpstoryview. Retrieved 2009-04-24. "Berga an der Elster was a slave labor camp where 350 U.S. soldiers were beaten, starved, and forced to work in tunnels for the German government. The soldiers were singled out for "looking like Jews" or "sounding like Jews," or dubbed as undesirables, according to survivors. More than 100 soldiers perished at the camp or on a forced death march." 
  4. ^ Reich, Walter (2005-05-01). "Yanks in the Holocaust". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DB1731F932A35756C0A9639C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1. Retrieved 2010-04-26. 

External links

Towns and municipalities in Greiz (district)

Auma-Weidatal · Bad Köstritz · Berga · Bethenhausen · Bocka · Brahmenau · Braunichswalde · Caaschwitz · Crimla · Endschütz · Gauern · Greiz · Großenstein · Hain · Harth-Pöllnitz · Hartmannsdorf · Hilbersdorf · Hirschfeld · Hohenleuben · Hohenölsen · Hundhaupten · Kauern · Korbußen · Kraftsdorf · Kühdorf · Langenwetzendorf · Langenwolschendorf · Lederhose · Linda bei Weida · Lindenkreuz · Lunzig · Mohlsdorf · Münchenbernsdorf · Neugernsdorf · Neumühle/Elster · Paitzdorf · Pölzig · Reichstädt · Ronneburg · Rückersdorf · Saara · Schömberg · Schwaara · Schwarzbach · Seelingstädt · Steinsdorf · Teichwitz · Teichwolframsdorf · Vogtländisches Oberland · Weida · Weißendorf · Wildetaube · Wünschendorf/Elster · Zedlitz · Zeulenroda-Triebes