What is vernichtungslager?

A Vernichtungslager, or extermination camp, refers to a facility established by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust for the systematic mass murder of Jews and other targeted groups. Unlike concentration camps, which often forced inmates into labor under brutal conditions, extermination camps were specifically designed for rapid killing, primarily through gas chambers. Notable examples include Auschwitz-Birkenau, Sobibor, and Treblinka. These camps played a central role in the implementation of the Nazis' "Final Solution."