The Wöbbelin concentration camp, located near Ludwigslust in Germany, was established in early 1945 to accommodate prisoners from other camps as the Nazi regime faced defeat in World War II. Conditions were dire, with inadequate food, medical care, and shelter contributing to high mortality rates. As the war came to a close, approximately 4,000 inmates were crammed into the camp. The American 82nd Airborne Division, part of the Allied forces advancing into Germany, encountered the camp on May 2, 1945. When soldiers arrived, they found a scene of utter devastation and neglect, with nearly 1,000 corpses strewn across the grounds, the overwhelming majority succumbing to starvation and disease.

The soldiers of the 82nd were horrified by what they witnessed. Many survivors were emaciated and suffering from severe malnutrition, requiring immediate medical attention. The liberation provided an important visual testament to the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi regime, shocking the world and altering perspectives on the Holocaust. Photographers documented the scene, and the images would later serve as critical evidence in post-war trials against Nazi war criminals.

In the aftermath of the liberation, the surviving prisoners were transported to nearby hospitals and facilities for rehabilitation. The discovery of such extensive loss of life at Wöbbelin underscored the urgency of providing humanitarian aid and documenting the horrific consequences of racial and political persecution carried out during the Holocaust. This event further solidified the resolve of the Allied forces to ensure justice for the victimized populations in Europe and to prevent future genocides.