Blechhammer

The Blechhammer (sheet metal hammer) area was the location of Nazi Germany chemical plants, prisoner of war (POW) camps, and forced labor camps (Arbeitslager Blechhammer; also Nummernbücher). Labor camp prisoners began arriving as early as June 17, 1942, and in July 1944, 400-500 men were transferred from the Terezin family camp to Blechhammer. The mobile “pocket furnace” (Taschenofen) crematorium was at Sławięcice.) and Bau und Arbeits Battalion (BAB, Construction Battalion) 21 was a mile from the Blechhammer oil plants and was not far from Katowitz and Breslau. Blechhammer synthetic oil production began April 1 with 4000 prisoners.


 * Chemical plants: Two plants in the area, Blechhammer North (south of Sławięcice) and Blechhammer South at Azoty (5 mi from the labor camp) were nicknamed "Black Hammer" by Allied bomber aircrews. The facilities were approximately 2 mi apart with each occupying a 3,000 x 5,000 ft area in open country. Similar to the Gelsenberg plant, the Blechhammer plants used bituminous coal in the Bergius process to synthesize Ersatz oil.  In June 1944, the United States Army Air Forces considered Blechhammer one of the four "principal synthetic oil plants in Germany", and after the Fifteenth Air Force had dropped 7,082 tons of bombs on Blechhammer, the Blechhammer plants were dismantled post-war by the Soviets.


 * Evacuation: The March (1945) evacuated POWs (one camp went to Regensburg, BAB 21  went to Landshut)  and on January 25, labor camp prisoners were force-marched for five days to Bergen Belsen (about 20% died en route).. Small group managed to escape (see František R.Kraus).

The "7 Company" was the guard battalion for Blechhammer, and the 1945 Belsen Trial convicted Blechhammer staff members Karl Francioh and Ansgar Piche.