The camp was chosen for its location near a rich vein of high-quality pink granite, which prisoners were forced to extract for Nazi construction projects.
It was the only concentration camp where the SS tested a gas chamber for medical experimentation purposes.
The camp system included a sprawling network of over 70 sub-camps spread across both sides of the Rhine.
Despite its remote mountain location, it held prisoners from over 30 different nationalities.
The European Centre of Deported Resistance Members was designed as a modern concrete structure to contrast with the original preserved barracks.
The site was officially designated as a 'Site of National Memory' by the French government in 2014.
Its altitude, at approximately 800 meters, contributed to the harsh, freezing conditions that caused significant mortality among prisoners.
Natzweiler-Struthof is the only Nazi concentration camp established on French soil, located in the Vosges Mountains near the border with Germany. It served primarily as a labor camp where prisoners worked in a nearby pink granite quarry. The site includes the European Centre of Deported Resistance Members, which provides historical context on the French Resistance. Visitors can view the original perimeter fences, watchtowers, and the barracks that once housed thousands of detainees. The facility also contains the site's original crematorium and an isolated gas chamber building located slightly apart from the main compound. Established in 1941, the camp was liberated by the U.S. Army in November 1944. Much of the site remains preserved in its post-war state to serve as a memorial to the victims who perished under forced labor and inhumane conditions.
The view from the perimeter fence looking back toward the barracks and the valley beyond.
Wear sturdy, comfortable walking shoes as the site is built on steep, uneven mountain terrain.
Start your visit at the European Centre of Deported Resistance Members to better understand the site's layout and history.
Dress in layers, as the mountain climate at this altitude can change rapidly and is significantly colder than in the valley.
Attempting to see the entire site in under two hours, as the museum exhibits require significant time to process.
Closed annually during the month of January.
Maintain a quiet and respectful demeanor throughout the site; avoid photography inside the crematorium or memorial buildings.
