Fort VII was the first concentration camp in occupied Poland, where Nazi gas chamber experiments and executions took place.
On October 10, 1939, the first German concentration camp on occupied Polish soil, Fort VII in Poznań, was established. Known as Konzentrationslager Posen, it became a center of extermination for Polish elites, with around 40,000 prisoners passing through its gates. The camp’s cruel conditions resulted in thousands of deaths, with estimates ranging from 4,500 to over 10,000.
A Site of Gas Chamber Experiments
Fort VII was the first location where gas chambers were used to murder civilians. Experiments with carbon monoxide began shortly after the camp opened, leading to the deaths of around 1,000 people by early 1940. These included patients from local psychiatric institutions.
Ongoing Remembrance
Today, Fort VII houses the Museum of the Martyrdom of Wielkopolska, though awareness of its dark history remains limited. Recent restoration efforts have increased recognition, and the museum continues to document the stories of former prisoners, with around 5,000 names identified so far.