Natzwiller

Natzwiller
The church in Natzwiller
The church in Natzwiller
Coat of arms of Natzwiller
Location of Natzwiller
Map
Natzwiller is located in France
Natzwiller
Natzwiller
Natzwiller is located in Grand Est
Natzwiller
Natzwiller
Coordinates: 48°26′19″N 7°15′15″E / 48.4386°N 7.2542°E / 48.4386; 7.2542
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentBas-Rhin
ArrondissementMolsheim
CantonMutzig
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) André Woock[1]
Area
1
7.29 km2 (2.81 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
528
 • Density72/km2 (190/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
67314 /67130
Elevation379–1,013 m (1,243–3,323 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Natzwiller (French pronunciation: [natsvilɛʁ]; German: Natzweiler) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in northeastern France.[3]

History

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Built in spring 1941 on the territory of the commune, Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp opened for prisoners in May 1941. It was the only Nazi concentration camp on French soil. The inmates originally were German who were to supply labor for building V-2 rocket factories in man-made caves dug out of the Vosges Mountains.

The prisoners lived in the cold, damp tunnels as they built them. The camp was expanded by the Nazis with the installation of a gas chamber in April 1943 and crematorium. Its main function was temporary detention of Resistance fighters from overrun European nations, although some Nazi experiments on Jews were carried out at the camp.

Museum

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The camp site has been preserved as a museum and includes a monument to the departed.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ INSEE commune file