Subcamps within the Residence camp
Special Camp
This camp housed 2,300 to 2,500 Jews whom the Germans had transferred from Poland to Bergen-Belsen. Jews who were under protection of a power not occupied by Germany were not permitted to labor detachments and could not have any contact with other prisoners at Bergen-Belsen. In October 1943, the SS and German police deported around 1,800 of the prisoners in the "special camp" to Auschwitz to be killed. The following February 1944,200 prisoners were also deported along with 147 in May 1944, to Auschwitz.
Neutral Camp
The SS incarcerated several hundred Jews who were citizens of neutral countries (mostly Spain, but also Portugal, Argentina, and Turkey) .These prisoners were mainly Sephardic Jews whom the German authorities had rounded up in Greece. Here, these Jewish prisoners were treated better than anyone in the other camps at Bergen Belsen receiving more food, had better sanitary conditions, and did not have to perform forced labor. The SS authorities released around 365 of these Jews in February 1944, dispatching them to the border of Spain.
Star Camp
The SS established the Star Camp in September 1943 with the intention of exchanging the Jews for German nationals interned by the Allies. This camp housed 4,000 Jews including ones that were interned from the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Morocco, and Tunisia. Instead of wearing camp uniforms, the prisoners had to wear a Star of David sewn onto their clothing and were forced to work in labor detachments.
Hungarian Camp
Established in 1944, the Hungarian camp held more than 1.600 Hungarian Jews who were set up to be exchanged for money and goods. These prisoners were marked by a Star of David on their clothing and were given no labor detachments. In return for cash payments, the SS permitted over 1,600 of the Jews to go to Switzerland in December 1944. During that same year over 4,000 Hungarian Jews were sent to the sub-camp at Bergen Belsen and remained there until the evacuation in April 1945.