Archaeology of the recent past: Reflections on concentration camp remains

The study of archaeology is traditionally associated with uncovering ancient civilizations and piecing together histories from long-forgotten fragments. However, the discipline is increasingly turning its attention to the recent past, exploring material remains that connect us to more contemporary, and often harrowing, events. Concentration camps from the Holocaust, with their preserved artifacts and remains, have become a poignant focus within this emerging field. I recently visited an exhibition in Frankfurt that showcased the archaeology of concentration camp remains, shedding light on the everyday lives of those who endured unimaginable suffering. In this post, I’d like to briefly reflect on the significance of this archaeological work and its implications for memory, history, and human understanding.

Can (Alkett), forced labor camp, Berlin Reinickendorf. The objects found in the camps are often everyday items that were essential for survival. Objects like this can are silent witnesses to the lives of the people who lived and probably died in the camps.

The archaeology of contemporary tragedy

While written records, testimonies, and photographs have long provided insight into the Holocaust, archaeology offers a unique perspective, focusing on the tangible remnants of lived experiences. This approach captures aspects of life that written records often overlook: the mundane, the improvised, and the deeply personal. From discarded belongings to repurposed objects, these items tell stories of resilience, humanity, and survival under unimaginable conditions.

The exhibition in Frankfurt presented objects unearthed from concentration camp sites, revealing glimpses of the day-to-day existence of those who lived and perished there. These items included fragments of clothing, utensils, toys, and makeshift tools – objects that speak not only to suffering but also to the efforts of individuals to retain some semblance of normalcy or dignity in a dehumanizing environment.

Everyday life in a concentration camp: Insights from artifacts

The exhibition’s artifacts offered a poignant window into the lives of those interned in concentration camps – and of those who managed and guarded them and profited from their labor. These objects, once touched and used by individuals now lost to history, evoke a profound sense of connection and empathy. They remind us that behind the statistics and the horror of and the camps were real people with stories, dreams, and fears.

Mundane objects, profound stories

The artifacts displayed at the Frankfurt exhibition provided a haunting glimpse into the everyday lives of both the victims and the perpetrators within concentration camps. The objects of daily use – spoons, plates, and cups – were particularly striking in their familiarity. These mundane items served as powerful reminders of the individuality and humanity of those who endured unimaginable suffering. Seeing such ordinary objects, used by the prisoners, forces one to confront the reality of their lives; they were not abstract figures in history but real people trying to survive in dehumanizing conditions.

Tableware from forced labor camps. Dishes and spoons were essential for the survival of all camp inmates. They were among the few things that concentration camp inmates were allowed to own.

More tableware from forced labor camps.

Spoon, excavation find from the Luckenwalde POW camp. Every spoon and every object from the camps existed in relation to a person. Sometimes initials or inscriptions point to who that person was, but it is seldom possible to find out their life stories. In most cases, the people behind the objects remain nameless.

Identification tags of forced laborers from the Treuenbrietzner munitions factory. It’s shocking to see these many tags, which reduced individuals to mere numbers and symbols of dehumanization.

Identification tag of a forced laborer from the Treuenbrietzner munitions factory.

Banality and brutality: The juxtaposition of artifacts

Equally jarring were the artifacts associated with the camp management and guards, including helmets, typewriters, and banal items like a tile painted with a bourgeois dance scene. These objects underscored the perverse dichotomy of life in the camps: while committing atrocities, the perpetrators attempted to maintain an air of normalcy within their own insulated lives. The absurdity and moral dissonance of this coexistence – the meticulous administration of mass suffering alongside efforts to preserve a veneer of civility – were deeply unsettling, illustrating the banality of evil in its most literal sense.

Typewriter fragment. Today’s Niederkirchnerstraße in Berlin was the location of the administrative headquarters of National Socialist terror: the Secret State Police Office, the Reich Leadership of the SS, the SS Security Service and, from 1939, the Reich Main Security Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt). The typewriter was recovered in 2009.

Helmet, Frouen concentration camp Ravensbrück, Fürstenberg (Havel).

Tile from the canteen, Bosch factory Kleinmachnow. The Germans who were deployed to manage, administer and guard the camps lived next to them: SS personnel, soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht, but also civilians who worked as camp managers or wardens. Objects from their daily needs, which bear witness to better provisioning, are also recovered during excavations.

Additional device for the ‘Volksempfänger’ (radio receiver), forced labor camp Hohensaaten.

Exploitation and complicity: Corporate involvement in the camps

The exhibition also highlighted the economic exploitation that underpinned the camps. Many of the displayed items bore the marks of large companies, such as BMW, Arado, Lufthansa, and Rheinmetall-Borsig, which directly benefited from the forced labor of prisoners, civilian workers, and prisoners of war. These companies, often responsible for feeding and housing their laborers, profited from the system of human exploitation, as did smaller businesses, farms, municipal utilities, and even private households. This stark reminder of corporate complicity and the commodification of human life during the Holocaust remains profoundly disturbing, raising uncomfortable questions about the ethical responsibilities of businesses in times of moral crisis.

Cup airplane factory Johannisthal, Forced labor camp, Berlin Rudow. Large companies such as BMW, Arado, Lufthansa and Rhein-metall-Borsig profited from the use of prisoners of war, civilian forced laborers and concentration camp prisoners. The companies that organized the forced labour were usually responsible for feeding and housing them. Craft businesses, farms, municipal utilities such as refuse collection and private households also used forced laborers.

Arado plate, Rathenow Subcamp.

Confronting the past: The power of material culture

Through these artifacts, the exhibition laid bare the multifaceted realities of concentration camp life. It revealed not only the suffering and resilience of the prisoners but also the chilling ordinariness of the perpetrators’ lives and the systemic exploitation that sustained the camps. Each item stood as a silent witness to history, challenging us to confront both the horrors of the past and the broader societal structures that enabled them.

The role of archaeology in Holocaust memory

The archaeological study of concentration camps plays a critical role in preserving memory and combating denialism. Material evidence provides a tangible, irrefutable connection to the events of the Holocaust, grounding history in physical reality. Excavations and artifact studies contribute to forensic investigations, helping identify victims and reconstruct events.

Moreover, these remains remind us of the humanity of those who endured these atrocities. By focusing on the material traces of everyday life, archaeology humanizes the victims, challenging narratives that reduce them to mere numbers or abstract symbols of suffering.

Archaeology of the recent past: Broader implications

The study of concentration camp remains is part of a broader trend in archaeology that examines the material culture of the recent past. Sites such as battlefields, internment camps, and even industrial ruins are becoming subjects of archaeological inquiry. This shift reflects a growing recognition that the material remains of the 19th and 20th centuries offer valuable insights into modern history and identity.

In the case of the Holocaust, archaeology not only preserves memory but also engages with contemporary ethical and political questions. How do we honor the victims? How do we ensure that the material remains of these sites are treated with respect? And how do we use these findings to educate future generations about the dangers of hatred, intolerance, and systemic violence?

Conclusion: Preserving memory through material culture

The Frankfurt exhibition on concentration camp remains demonstrates the power of archaeology to connect us with the lived experiences of history. By focusing on everyday objects and their stories, it brings us closer to understanding the human dimensions of the Holocaust. These artifacts are not merely relics of the past; they are enduring testimonies to the resilience, creativity, and dignity of individuals in the face of unimaginable suffering.

As archaeology increasingly turns its attention to the recent past, it bridges the gap between history and memory, helping us confront the legacies of modernity with honesty and compassion. The study of concentration camp remains, in particular, ensures that the voices of the Holocaust’s victims continue to resonate, reminding us of the enduring relevance of their stories.

References and further reading

• Website of the Archaeological Museum in Frankfurtꜛ
• Sturdy Colls, C., Holocaust Archaeologies: Approaches and Future Directions, 2015 Springer, ISBN: 978-3319106403
• Bevan, R., The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War, 2006, Reaktion Books, ISBN: 978-1780235974
• Erwin Gostner, 1000 Tage im KZ: Ein Erlebnisbericht aus den Konzentrationslagern Dachau, Mauthausen und Gusen, 2018, StudienVerlag, ISBN: 978-3706559324
• Laurence Rees, Auschwitz: Geschichte eines Verbrechens. Die fundierte sowie erschütternde Darstellung über die unfassbaren Geschehnisse des Holocaust, 2007, List Taschenbuch, ISBN: 978-3548606842
• Ruhr Museum, Jüngste Zeiten: Archäologie der Moderne an Rhein und Ruhr, 2023, Nünnerich-Asmus, ISBN: 978-3961762293 – This is the catalog of an exhibition that deals with the archaeology of the recent past in the Ruhr area, Germany. I visited the exhibition in Essen earlier this year and summarized my impressions in this post.
• University of Vienna: “Konzentrationslager Mauthausen: Archäologie und Zeitgeschichte”ꜛ