DP Camps in Burgdorf, Germany

Camps:
Burgdorf, #2711, in Hannover region (British, Lower Saxony); Balts, Poles, Yugoslavs, Ukrainians; and those classified as Others.
Visit Shevchenko Scientific Society for Ukrainian records.
Burgdorf city website
http://www.burgdorf.de

Archives:
Information on Camp Ohio and its residents can be found in many archives around the world. Here are a few:
Stadt Burgdorf - City of Burgdorf
Contact: Frau Alexandra Veith (Public Relations Department)
Address: Rathaus II, Zimmer 17 - Büro
Vor dem Hannoverschen Tor 1 , 31303 Burgdorf
Phone: 05136 898-115
Fax: 05136 898-4110
E-Mail: oeffentlichkeitsarbeit@burgdorf.de or veith@burgdorf.de

Please note that according to German data protection laws, the Burgdorf Registration Office will NOT provide documents for births (unless more than 110 years ago), marriages (unless more than 80 years ago) and deaths (unless more than 30 years ago). The only exception made is if you are requesting your own documents or can prove that you are related to the person whose documents you are requesting.
If you were born while your parents were in Camp Ohio, you most likely were born at the hospital in Celle, and your birth registered in Celle, Germany.

Records may also be found at:
The National Archives
Archives Nationale, Paris, France
National Archives of Australia
Home - Library and Archives Canada
https://www.archives.gov
Arolsen Archives – International Center on Nazi Persecution

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We are compiling a history of Camp Ohio in Burgdorf and would like to put a face and story to every name. We'd love to interview former camp residents, former forced labourers in Burgdorf during WW II, or residents of Burgdorf who lived outside the camp during 1945-1950. If you have photos and documents you are willing to share, please email me at dariadv@yahoo.ca

One group in Germany, Historical Team Burgdorf, published a book at the end of August, "Im Schatten des Vergessens. Zwangsarbeiter, Kriegsgefangene und heimatlose Ausländer in Burgdorf 1939-1950" (English title: "In The Shadow of The Forgotten: Prisoners of war, forced labourers, and displaced foreigners in Burgdorf 1939-1950"). Please note that the book is only available in the German language, not in English. Anyone interested in the book can order it through the publisher Matthias Wehrhahn (Wehrhahn Verlag) in Hannover at http://www.wehrhahn-verlag.de/ Email the publisher directly with inquiries at vertrieb@wehrhahn-verlag.de .

I would like to hear from anyone who worked at the British Timber Company (North German Timber Control) in Camp Ohio. 

Camp Churches: From the recollections of residents, there was a Ukrainian Catholic church in Camp Ohio, plus a Baptist church, a Russian church, and a Lithuanian church. For the Ukrainian Orthodox community, a priest visited regularly from camps in Seedorf and Heidenau. Anyone with information on church activities, names of priests, or photos, please email dariadv@yahoo.ca

Five Ukrainian Catholic priests were identified as being in Camp Ohio:
Rev. Petro Romanyshyn
Rev. Theodor Pryshliak
Rev. Fukantschyk
Rev. Dennis Kulchytsky
Rev. John Tomasziwskyj

One Ukrainian Baptist pastor was identified as being in Camp Ohio: Rev. Z. Setchunpanko

Camp Translators / interpreters:  The following people acted as translators /interpreters in Camp Ohio.  If anyone has any information or photos for any of these people, I'd love to hear from you.
• Klaudia Zyla
• Johann Fylypiw
• Paran Kowalczuk
• Nikolaus Krawczenko
• Anna Fedoryszyn
• Anton Medwid
• Ellie Kunsze
• Olga Swiderski

Forced labourers who were buried on June 10, 1944 in Burgdorf:  Graves of the following 3 women were found in the Burgdorf cemetery, and have been identified as forced labourers who died after being hit by a train at a railway crossing.  Please contact me if anyone has information or photos on any of these women:
• Irene Tbierska [Zbierska, Sbierski]
• Genovefa Madney [Madoj]
• Anna Huatczeck

Camp Ohio Residents who died while at the camp:  The following people died while in the camp, and I'd like to find out more about them.  Please contact me if you have any information or photos, or know of anyone else who died while living in the camp.
• Nikolai Leonidow, died May 4, 1945
• Michailo Felemonow (Telenssonow), buried April 24, 1947
• Piotr Rizuyczick, buried August 12, 1949
• Ksenja Schreider (Sreider), widow, neé Urtjevo, buried August 4, 1948
• Boris Mauer, buried October 21, 1947
• Anna Suschko, neé Schuknejack, buried July 23, 1947

Children from the camp who died and were also buried in Burgdorf:
• Nadja Chorenko, buried June 15, 1948
• Alla Martuscheck, May 22, 1947
• Johanna Lenerijuk, buried May 10, 1947
• Wlodimir Lawrenki,  Peter Murschafsky, buried December 29, 1946
• Nina Teske,buried December 6, 1946 Lusa Krpschinski,  buried November 29, 1946
• [K]asimirca Kieke, buried July 28, 1945
• Stillborn child Kropenka, June 28, 1946
• Larisa Bosenko, born October 26, 1945 in Heidenau, died April 10, 1946 in Burgdorf

Some history about the camp: Camp Ohio in Burgdorf was originally built in 1943 as a camp for the Fire Police [Feuerschutzpolizei-Abteilung 2 "Hannover" (FSchP-Abtl 2)] with barracks and hangars. In June 1944 a resistance movement by Ukrainian members of the fire brigade in Burgdorf and forced labourers in a camp near Burgdorf resulted in 300 people arrested by the Nazis. Forty of these people were sent to the concentration camp Neuengamme. Two people later lived in Camp Ohio. So far we have not identified any of the participants. Does anyone have more information?

The US 9th Army liberated Burgdorf on April 11, 1945, and opened up Camp "Ohio". On May 28, 1945, British military officially took over the management of the camp when the area became part of the British Zone and was run under the 503 Military Government Detachment. If you were part of the US 9th Army or the British 503 Military Government Detachment, please email dariadv@yahoo.ca

After WW II, between 1945-1950, it became the Displaced Persons Camp Ohio, where former forced laborers, war refugees and other people lived. In September 1945, over 200 residents of the camp formally stated that they refused to be repatriated when they were registered for the camp, and wrote letters to the Camp Commander, asking to be considered as “stateless” and eligible for immigration.

In 1946, Soviet officers visited the camp to look for people to repatriate, and a Russian Major was attacked by some of the residents and injured. Does anyone have more information on this incident?

A few British officers apparently told residents that one of the temporary staff at Camp Ohio was a niece of US President Roosevelt, and that she was helpful in getting needed supplies for the camp residents. Truth or fiction? Does anyone have more information?

Many of the residents subsequently immigrated to England, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Luxemburg, and the USA. As Camp Ohio's population grew, a second camp was built opposite it. The original camp was Camp Ohio I and the second was Camp Ohio II.

Thank you.
Sincerely, Daria

Mine Explosion on June, 1946: The explosion of an ammunition dump in an unused salt mine in Hänigsen killed 89 people, among them 20 DPs. Anyone with information on the names listed below is asked to contact dariadv@yahoo.ca
1. Butschinsky, Peter [?]
2. Coloban, Wasilij
3. Demchin (Denekin), Michael
4. Demkov, Afanassij
5. Fedorovitsch (Fedorowitsch), Wladimir
6. Kirpichow, Wassili [of Nikolai?]
7. Kostin, Wassili
8. Kravtschuk (Krawtschuk), Peter
9. Kurtschenko (Kurtsenko), Boris
10. Mitin, Anatolij
11. Plustenhko, Afansij [or Wassili?]
12. Polonskij, Anton [?]
13. Saschenko, Afansij
14. Skorlikin, Viktor
15. Tamarevski, Kuzma
16. Tscherneevsky (Tchernevsky), Mihail
17. Volodka, Sferid
18. Wal, Boris
19. Wlakoskij (Wl[ater]skij), [Peter?]
20. Zardarlowski, Wjacheslav

If you recognize anyone in the photos, please contact dariadv@yahoo.ca
(Photos from the collections of: W. Makota , A. Popov,  M. Dunai, N. Lukjanenko, P. Shovk

Baptisms
Sep 25, 2013 Hello Olga,
I have just come across your great site and was wondering if you or someone out there may be able to help me with information on my wife's father who was in 2 camps between 1938 and 1948. Camp Burgdorf and Camp Schulenburg before coming to Australia, his name was Michael Kurylko born in Jaslo Poland or Ukraine as he said he was Ukranian but we are not sure....if you can point me in the right direction to follow up that would be so helpful.
thanking you, David Gibson gibbosjananddave@hotmail.com

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Interested to hear from anyone with information on Ly Lilienthal of Estonia, who worked for the British Timber Company in Camp Ohio in Burgdorf, and later was in the camp in Fallingsbostel with her mother Ledi in anticipation of immigration to Canada. Prior to Camp Ohio, she was in Camp Churchill. Ly later married R.Ward Stewart.

Searching for Victoria Gibajlo, born May 18, 1947 in Celle, Germany, daughter of Roman Gibajlo and Raissa Monastyrska. Immigrated to Australia in 1947 with her parents.

Contact Daria at dariadv@yahoo.ca if you have photos and/or info on:
• Stanislaus Wozniak
• Josefa Piwowarczyk nee Wegrzyniak
• Natala Hoc, born November 2, 1946 in Celle, daughter of Semen Hoc and Cecylia Makowiecka
• Skorik family
• Wasyl Drohomoretski (Drohomirecki), who immigrated to Canada
• Svitlana Abramova
• Makarec family - Stefan, Anna, Jaroslav - who immigrated to Brazil
• A. Milke
• Valentina and Olga Stepanoff (Stepanova)
• W. Szitikowa
• Nadia Uschenda
• Y. Velsh
• Ivan Zoj
• Klaudia Zyla (Shyla)
• Vlastimir Zivkovic, who immigrated to Australia
• Roman Cepan, who immigrated to Australia
• Volodimir Skorohod
• Paul and Natalia Szamraj