Construction

As soon as the Wiener Graben quarry was opened in December 1939, some 400 prisoners of the main camp Mauthausen were sent to work on the construction of Gusen. The prisoners were forced to walk for miles between Mauthausen and Gusen and perform extremely harsh physical labor when building the camp. Many prisoners died.

In Mid-May 1940, most of the detention camp barracks and the SS accommodation was completed.

Prisoners constructing the foundation of the SS-Barracks, spring 1940 (photo credits: SS-Foto, Courtesy of Museu d'Història de Catalunya, Barcelona: Fons Amical de Mauthausen)

Main entrance to the camp befor the construction of the "Jourhaus", spring 1940 (photo credits: SS-Foto, Courtesy of Museu d’Història de Catalunya, Barcelona: Fons Amical de Mauthausen)