On Tuesday, June 8, Dr. C. Paul Vincent will present Collapse of the Nazi Concentration Camp System, a lecture originally conceived with the intent to focus on two concentration camps, Auschwitz and Dachau. After additional research, however, he reached the conclusion that the collapse of Nazi Germany’s concentration camps was “a system-wide implosion.”
“It cannot be limited effectively to two places, even if the significance of those two camps is more dramatic than the average person might appreciate,” he said. “The collapse of Nazi Germany’s concentration camp system is inextricably linked with the evacuation of literally hundreds of thousands of prisoners from thousands of camps in the closing 4 to 5 months of the war.”
The numerous “death marches” that ensued, he noted, took the lives of roughly a third of those prisoners. “[It indicated] the ferocious and vicious nature of the war’s final phase, even when measured against the genocidal standards of Nazi Germany,” he continued. “If one fundamental truth stands out, it must be the link between camp collapse and death marches.”
According to Mike Culver, executive director of The Wright, Dr. Vincent’s presentation highlights the breadth and scope of the museum’s 2021 Lecture Series, presented by Ron Goodgame and Donna Canney. “These lecture are important, because they provide insight into a period of history that profoundly shaped today’s global landscape,” he said. “Some lectures are fun, while others are sobering. The outcome is that you will learn something you did not know before and have a chance to interact with interesting, knowledgeable experts in their respective fields.”
Dr. Vincent is Interim Co-Director of the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and Professor Emeritus of Holocaust Studies and History at Keene State College. Collapse of the Nazi Concentration Camp System begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8 at the Wright Museum, 77 Center Street in Wolfeboro on the first floor of the new DuQuoin Education Center. Admission is $3 for members and $8 for non-members.
Seating is limited due to CDC guidelines on social distancing. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 603-569-1212.
The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, the Wright Museum features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the homefront and battlefield.
