The Crveni Krst concentration camp, also known as the Niš concentration camp, was established by the German Gestapo in 1941 following the occupation of Yugoslavia. Located in the Red Cross district of Niš, the facility served as a central detention point for Jews, Roma, and Serbian partisans, as well as those suspected of anti-fascist activities. It is estimated that approximately 30,000 people passed through the camp during its three years of operation, with thousands executed at the nearby Bubanj memorial site.
Today, the site functions as the '12th February' Memorial Museum, preserving the original camp buildings, including the main prison structure and the watchtowers. The museum serves as a somber educational site, documenting the systematic repression and the 1942 prisoner uprising, which remains one of the few successful mass escapes from a Nazi camp in occupied Europe.
Key Facts
- Materials
- Brick, Concrete, Barbed wire
- Civilization
- Nazi Germany (Occupied Serbia)
- Accessibility
- Ground floor accessible
- Date(s)
- 1935 (as military barracks)
- Condition
- Preserved as a memorial museum
- Original Function
- Military barracks / Concentration camp
- Key Figures
- Branko Pešić
Establishment
1941Following the invasion of Yugoslavia, the German military repurposed existing military barracks in Niš to serve as a transit and concentration camp for the region of Southern Serbia.
The 1942 Uprising
1942On February 12, 1942, over 100 prisoners launched a desperate breakout attempt. While many were killed, a significant number managed to escape, marking a rare instance of organized resistance within a Nazi camp.
Liberation and Memorialization
1944-PresentThe camp was closed in September 1944 as the Partisan forces approached Niš. In 1967, the site was officially converted into a memorial museum to honor the victims and document the history of the occupation.
Cultural Significance
The site is a critical component of Serbian collective memory regarding the Holocaust and the anti-fascist struggle. It serves as a reminder of the brutal occupation policies in the Balkans and the resilience of the resistance movements that operated under extreme duress.
Interpretive Notes
Scholarly debates and areas of uncertainty
Debates often center on the precise number of victims, as records were partially destroyed by retreating German forces in 1944. Historians continue to analyze the administrative relationship between the German Gestapo and local collaborationist authorities in the management of the facility.
Visiting Information
Entry Rules
Open Tuesday through Sunday. Tickets are required for entry. Visitors are expected to maintain a respectful demeanor given the site's history as a place of mass suffering.
Best Times to Visit
Weekdays during the morning hours are recommended for a quieter, more reflective visit.
Photography
Photography is permitted for personal use, though flash is prohibited inside the exhibition halls.
Nearby POIs
8 shownSources & Further Reading
- [1]The Holocaust in Serbia — Christopher Browning. University of Nebraska Press (2005)
- [2]
Key Facts
- Materials
- Brick, Concrete, Barbed wire
- Civilization
- Nazi Germany (Occupied Serbia)
- Accessibility
- Ground floor accessible