Crveni Krst concentration camp, Niš

The Crveni Krst concentration camp, situated in the city of Niš, Serbia, stands as a haunting reminder of the atrocities of World War II. Established by German occupiers in 1941, it was one of the few concentration camps that was not destroyed during the war, leaving its ominous structures mostly intact. As a site where thousands of prisoners, primarily Serbs, Jews, and Roma, were detained, tortured, and executed, it now serves as a somber memorial to those who suffered and perished within its confines.

The name "Crveni Krst" translates to "Red Cross," an ironic and chilling misnomer for a place marked by human suffering. The camp originally functioned as a transit location for prisoners before they were sent to larger extermination camps throughout Europe. However, it also became a site of execution as the war progressed, with mass shootings taking place in nearby Bubanj.

Today, the Crveni Krst concentration camp is preserved as a museum. Its barracks, solitary confinement cells, and guard towers stand as they did during the war, providing a visceral experience for visitors who come to learn about this dark chapter of history. The museum houses exhibitions that detail the living conditions, the stories of the prisoners, and the resistance operations that took place, including a notable escape in February 1942, when more than one hundred prisoners managed to flee the camp.