Letter From Eisenhower to George
Marshall Describing Visit to Ohrdruf

The Letter from Eisenhower to Marshall from April 15, 1945, is a significant firsthand account of General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s visit to the Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany, the first to be liberated by U.S. forces. In this letter, Eisenhower describes the shocking atrocities he witnessed, including scenes of starvation, cruelty, and mass death. He mentions encountering survivors and their harrowing testimonies, as well as the emotional impact the visit had on him and General George S. Patton, who refused to enter one room due to the horror within. Eisenhower emphasizes the importance of documenting these atrocities, fearing future claims of propaganda, and urges General George C. Marshall to visit the site to witness the conditions firsthand. He also highlights his deliberate decision to tour the camp so that he could personally testify to the brutality if needed in the future. Eisenhower further notes the Germans’ hiding of looted gold and artwork in nearby salt mines. The letter is notable not only for its vivid description of the horrors of the concentration camp but also for Eisenhower’s forward-thinking determination to ensure these atrocities were recorded and remembered.

Click here to read the letter.

Source: “World War II: Holocaust, The Extermination of European Jews,” Eisenhower Presidential Library.