Nis Concentration Camp

The concentration camp located in the district of Crveni Krst (Red Cross) is one of the few fully preserved fascist camps in Europe. Even today, it provides authentic testimony to the perils of Serbian, Romani, and Jewish population, communists, numerous supporters of the liberation movement and partisans who were incarcerated here during the German occupation of Serbia (1941-1945). The camp complex occupies the surface area of 7 hectares and is surrounded by high barbed wire. It contains two central camp buildings, two supplementary one-storey buildings, two towers, two observation posts, two guard boxes, and a drinking fountain. All the premises and objects are preserved as authentic, the way they were in the period of the camp’s active use. During World War Two, about 30,000 people passed through this camp, of whom over 10,000 were shot on nearby Bubanj hill. Setting aside this camp from others is the fact that on 12 February 1942 there was a massive escape of prisoners from there. Out of 147 inmates who attempted to flee, 105 managed to escape, while 82 died along the way.