Truppen.C3.BCbungsplatz Westpreu.C3.9Fen Dziemiany

memorial stone prisoner victims of concentration camp westpreussen sophienwalde of kl stutthof in dziemiany, perished between august 1944 , february 1945 slave labour ss-truppenübungsplatz westpreußen

dziemiany overrun on second day of nazi german invasion of poland of september 1939. several weeks later on 26 october 1939 decree of adolf hitler region annexed reich reichsagau danzig westpreussen. dziemiany renamed sophienwalde, population: 4,428 ethnic poles. deportations of prominent citizens followed. polish schools , institutions shut down.

in fall of 1943 during operation barbarossa germans began constructing military range called truppenübungsplatz westpreußen in dziemiany , neighbouring villages on area of 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi). farmers deported potulice concentration camp. range designed training of new ss sturm brigades including waffen-ss, rocket testing. built around 1,000 international prisoners kept @ barracks of temporary camp in brusy, 300 inmates of kl potulice, , 400–500 prisoners of kl stutthof. notable group of 400 slave workers arrived in fall of 1944, captured in warsaw uprising. notable group of 500 jewish women kept @ sub-camp in dziemiany (sophienwalde) employed service ss soldiers. in total, range built 3,000 prisoners. first trainees arrived latvia, romania , hungary. average training lasted 2 6 weeks. range never completed, because of soviet advance.