There were more than 1,000 Nazi concentration camps, including main camps and their satellite camps, during World War II. Historian estimates indicate 27 main camps and over 1,100 satellite camps at different times, with some estimates of total camps including ghettos and labor camps reaching as high as 15,000 or even 40,000 camps if forced labor, transit, and death camps are counted across German-occupied Europe. The concentration camps were a system used for imprisonment, forced labor, and mass murder, with the deadliest being the six extermination camps. Here is a summary:
- About 27 primary concentration camps with 1,100+ satellite camps (subcamps) under Nazi control.
- Estimates of total camps including all forced labor, transit, and death camps, as well as ghettos, range from 15,000 to over 40,000.
- Six extermination camps were specifically designated for mass killings.
This extensive camp system imprisoned approximately 1.65 million registered prisoners with around a million dying in the camps, not counting the mass killings at extermination camps.
