Hofamt Priel, May 2, 1945: The Atrocities of Death Marches During World War II

This entry details the horrific events at Hofamt Priel on May 2, 1945, where at least 228 Jewish inmates of a 'Judenauffanglager' (Jewish reception camp) were massacred by the Waffen-SS. It recounts the context of death marches and the fate of Hungarian-Jewish forced laborers.

The historical entry for Hofamt Priel, May 2, 1945, chronicles the brutal massacre of Hungarian-Jewish forced laborers. It begins with a poignant excerpt from Bihari Jószef's calendar, dated December 30, 1944, expressing his fear of not enduring much longer. He, along with others, was driven in a death march towards Mauthausen and eventually reached Hofamt Priel near Persenbeug. In the night of May 2nd to 3rd, 1945, members of the Waffen-SS violently roused the sleeping Jewish inmates of the Hofamt Priel reception camp, drove them into trenches, and shot them. At least 228 individuals were murdered, and their bodies were subsequently doused with gasoline and set ablaze. The calendar of Bihari Jószef, along with documents from other victims, was secured by Gendarmerie officer Franz Winkler. The text further explains that the Gendarmerie post in Persenbeug established a "Jewish reception camp" in abandoned barracks in Hofamt Priel on April 25th for those who had fallen behind or been left behind from the main march. The massacre itself was carried out by the Waffen-SS.