From Liberation to Occupation

Join us for a virtual panel discussion examining the liberation of Nazi concentration camps by Allied forces, the impact on the soldiers involved, and the influence on Allied attitudes towards the German people.

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As Allied forces advanced on Germany in the closing months of the Second World War, they began to encounter Nazi concentration camps. The soldiers involved in liberating these camps witnessed first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust. Their experiences shaped attitudes towards the German public. 

When the war ended, the victorious Allies became occupiers. They now faced the challenge of dealing with the aftermath of the Holocaust and de-nazifying the German establishment. 

This event, held to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, will be chaired by Dr Peter Johnston, curator of the National Army Museum’s ‘Foe to Friend’ exhibition.

An interview with Bergen-Belsen survivor Mala Tribich MBE will open the event. She will recount her experiences of the camp and the liberation. The interview was kindly facilitated by the Holocaust Educational Trust.

Dr Johnston will be joined by Professor Rainer Schulze, who has written on the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by the British Army, and Alex Kershaw, who will offer an American perspective, drawing on his research into the liberation of Dachau.

This panel discussion is part of our events programme for the ‘Foe to Friend’ exhibition.