Eckerwald Memorial, Memorial site in Schömberg, Germany.
The Eckerwald Memorial preserves the ruins of a gas purification plant where concentration camp prisoners were forced to work during World War II. The site displays the industrial remains of this installation, which operated as part of a larger network of forced labor facilities.
In autumn 1944, prisoners from Schörzingen concentration camp built an oil shale extraction facility at this location as part of Company Wüste operations. This site was one of seven connected subcamps linked to the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp system.
A bronze sculpture by artist Siegfried Haas stands here with the inscription 'Macht ist Ohnmacht' carved into a depression dug by prisoners. The artwork, placed in 2004, serves as a visible reminder of the suffering experienced at this location.
The memorial is located approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Balingen and remains easily accessible. A documentation center on-site provides information through ten panels that explain the history and context of this location.
The memorial marks a site where prisoners extracted fuel from oil shale through an industrial process unique among concentration camp operations of its era. This specialized function made it distinct from other forced labor camps.
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