‘An example of Nazi kultur’ Paradigmatic and contested materiality at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp

Since it was liberated on the 15th April 1945 and images broadcast around the world, Bergen-Belsen has been synonymous with the cruelty of the Nazi concentration camp system. Although the history of the camp is well documented, less attention has been paid to what happened to the bodies of almost half of the 53,000 victims who died there and to the materiality of the camp landscape. This paper outlines the results of historical and non-invasive archaeological investigations aimed at locating unmarked graves and camp structures, as well as how they aligned and conflicted with established narratives. The ethical challenges involved in these investigations – as well as the contestation that surrounds the issue of unmarked burials – are also discussed.