KZ Natzweiler-Struthof Ashes Urn

[Carfin LEWYS]

Hi,

I found this céramic "Pot" in a house that I have disencumber.WHAT IT IS ? Please.
Thank you for replies.
Best regards from Alsace , France.
Carfin.

[Scout]

Measurements, please?

Supposed to look like an urn for cremated remains maybe?

[big ned]

Hi Carfin,

Scout is correct in his assumption that this is a funeral urn. They were used for the ashes of deceased prisoners to be sent back to their relatives from KZ Struthof-Natzweiller, though it is unlikely that they were the individuals remains as the ashes were raked out of the incinerators only when necessary and then dumped in a pit.

The script on the outside of the urn has been added at a later date, as the urns were always bare, including no name or date, never mind where they were from.

This urn appears that it could be the genuine article, there are many hundreds of them still to be seen at the museum on the site of the KZ in the so called 'Urn Room'. Here's a couple of then and now photo's showing the urns there.

Regards, Ned.

[Carfin LEWYS]

Hi Ned,

Thank you very much "Scout" & "Ned" for the replies & photos, very interesting.
Best regards from Alsace , France.
Carfin.

[CARL]

The decoration was patently added later but, as stated above (a few years ago!), the urn appears to match those present at the museum. To augment, attached below are several links to threads addressing the camp, the only major Konzentrationslager located on occupied French territory.

Largest KL in France - Natzweiler-Struthof - features an image showing the urn room.

KL-Natzweiler-Struthof - Sandkasten massacre

KL-Natzweiler-Struthof - "Kartoffelkeller"

KL-Natzweiler-Struthof, The Ravine of Death

[Wagriff]

Even though this is a nearly 3 year old post) There were no labeling such as shown on the urn found, so, as said, the lettering has been added after. The simple fact that such an inscription was Added, tells us that the whole rig is a tarted up enhanced fraudulent one. The urn itself is, no doubt, genuine. One of countless thousands of pottery urns that have been in use for many many years now-used all Over in addition to the KZ's. The urn could have been made in any endless number of places and in a huge span of time aside from the few short war years. To take such a thing and Add a silly pair of huge SS Runes and the name of a prominent KZ is an affront. Whoever did this is a very questionable person...(not You, Carfin! )

[Carfin LEWYS]

Hi,

Thank you William for thr infos.

The urne was in a lot of military items that I became from the family of a veterant of the "Leclerc 2 Division Blindée".
The Family had no more infos about this urn.
I do not collect such KZ items, I asked just for infos.

My father was 6 months prisoner in the "Arbeitslager Schirmek" 10 kms from Natweiler Camp, befor he was forced as Alsacian to be incorporated in the "Gebirgsjäger Rgt 100" in december 1942 (19 years old). After 4 wounds (The last in april 1945) He was prisoner by the Russian in Romania & come home in october 1945.
My onkel is MIA in Russia.
Best regards from Alsace , France.
Carfin.

[octavian]

Yep. carl and ned have it correct. lettering was added after the fact.

[CARL]

Today, 23rd November 2016, marks the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of Natzweiler-Struthof. On this day in 1944, American troops arrived at the site where tens of thousands had died. Due to the advancing allied forces, the SS had already began their process of departure in September, with outbound transports of inmates to numerous other Konzentrationslagers. Following the abandonment of the Stammlager (Main Camp) at Natzweiler-Struthof, the sub-camp system continued to operate and did so until as late as spring 1945. The majority of the final prisoners to be held within the Natzweiler-Struthof camp system had to wait much longer to be liberated, with forced marches headed south to KZ-Dachau, near München, the destination for many of them. Dachau itself was not liberated until later that spring, on 29th April 1945.

Carl

[CARL]

75 years ago today, the largest concentration camp in occupied France, KZ-Natzweiler-Struthof, ceased to operate. The liberators arrived to end the misery at the site in Alsace but sadly too late for the tens of thousands who died within the Natzweiler-Struthof camp system. Take time to think of them today...and remember what happened...for if we forget...we fail them and ourselves.