Material traces of violence

Archaeological finds in the collection of the Mauthausen Memorial

The Mauthausen Memorial has extensive collections of documents, photographs, oral history interviews, books and artefacts. The majority of the artefact collection consists of finds that have been recovered in the course of archaeological measures since the early 2000s. For the Kulturpool, objects were digitised and inventoried that were found during the excavation for the construction of the visitor centre in Mauthausen in 2002/03, during the recovery of objects from one of the ponds in the Wiener Graben quarry in 2012, during the excavation of the former SS sports field in 2017, and during the excavation of the former Gusen subcamp in 2021. Most of the archaeological finds come from an archaeological survey conducted on the site of the former Gunskirchen concentration camp subcamp in 2019.

Everyday objects in the concentration camp

The archaeological finds presented here are very heterogeneous in terms of size, material and state of preservation. They range from objects used in the everyday life of concentration camp prisoners, such as crockery, clothing, medicine containers and hygiene articles, to objects used by the perpetrators or those used for infrastructure or in connection with forced labour for arms production.

From the aluminium can to bricks

The largest group of digitised finds consists of metal objects, mainly iron and aluminium, such as crockery, ointments and creams, and military items such as helmets. Another large group of objects consists of textiles and leather, including clothing, shoes, belts and gloves, or fragments thereof. Plastic objects such as toothbrushes, cans, buttons, combs and gas masks are also included. Furthermore, objects can be assigned to the glass material group, including bottles and individual fragments. Ceramics/porcelain, such as bricks and tableware, are also among the finds.

Traces of prisoners, perpetrators and liberators

Most of the objects recorded here can be attributed to concentration camp prisoners. These are often items for personal use – crockery, toothbrushes, combs or clothing. Some objects can be attributed to the guards, the camp SS, or originate from the structural facilities used to exercise power over the prisoners. Only a few objects refer to the American liberators.

Among the digitised objects are a number with stamps and markings, which are manufacturer's marks, but also individual markings such as prisoner numbers, names or simple decorations. These objects are special because they can be linked to a person or a company, i.e. a specific name.

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