After the German concentration camp at Majdanek was liberated in July 1944, Soviet forces repurposed it to hold Polish soldiers from the Home Army (Armia Krajowa). For four weeks, the NKVD operated a filtration camp on the site, using former barracks and facilities to detain these soldiers. This little-known chapter of the camp’s history reveals the complex and tragic aftermath of the war.
Soviet Repression of the Home Army
As Soviet troops advanced, they quickly turned against their former allies in the Polish underground resistance. On August 4, 1944, the commander of the Lublin District of the Home Army, General Kazimierz Tumidajski, was arrested and sent to Moscow. His soldiers were detained at various locations in Lublin, including the former Gestapo prison and Majdanek. Here, the NKVD segregated officers and non-commissioned officers into separate barracks, tightly controlling their movements and interactions.
One dramatic incident occurred on the night of August 15, 1944, when eight prisoners managed to escape by cutting through the camp’s fence. Their fate remains unknown. After this, the camp’s conditions worsened, with personal items confiscated and communication with the outside world cut off. On August 23, 1944, the camp was dismantled, and around 250 prisoners were deported to the Soviet Union.
Legacy and Remembrance
The story of the NKVD camp at Majdanek is a stark reminder of the continued suffering of Poles after the German occupation. In November 1944, a museum was established on the site to honor the victims, and today, it also serves as a reminder of the Soviet repression that followed. Archival records from the camp preserve the names of many who endured this dark period.