The mass grave at Belsen concentration camp

Category

Library Item

Item no

24758

Title

The mass grave at Belsen concentration camp

Description

British soldiers watch as the former Commandant of Belsen concentration camp stands amongst the bodies of a mass grave.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1945

Type

Photograph

As a young relatively healthy prisoner, on arrival at Belsen, Ernest was tasked with removing the bodies of the dead and putting them into mass graves. Eventually exhaustion and starvation overwhelmed him and he fell into one such burial pit. With the help of an unknown person he miraculously escaped from the mass grave in this photograph.

Ernest Levy was a holocaust survivor who after the war settled in Scotland. Originally from Bratislava he spent 48 years in Glasgow where he became a leading figure in the Scottish Jewish community. He spoke out about his experiences throughout his life, knowing that his testimony would help future generations remember this terrible time in history. For these efforts Ernest was made an O.B.E in 2002.

On his passing in 2009 his large collection of books, manuscripts and music were donated to Edinburgh City Libraries by his daughter Judy.

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Related subjects

Events > Wars > Concentration camps

Events > Wars > World wars

People > Military activities > Soldiers

Places > Europe > Germany