Majdanek was a concentration and extermination camp located just outside the city of Lublin, Poland. It was one of the first camps established by Nazi Germany after the invasion of Poland in 1939. The camp was officially opened in 1941 and was primarily intended for forced labor, but it later evolved into a site of mass murder.

Majdanek primarily held Polish political prisoners, Jews, Soviet prisoners of war, and Roma. The camp became notorious for its brutal conditions and high mortality rates. 

In addition to being a labor camp, Majdanek was also used for systematic killings. Gas chambers were built, and mass shootings occurred, especially in 1942 during the Aktion Erntefest (Harvest Festival), when thousands of Jews from the Lublin district were murdered. 

Inmates at Majdanek faced horrendous living conditions, including overcrowding, inadequate food, forced labor, and brutal treatment by guards. Many died from starvation, disease, or execution. 

The camp was liberated by the Soviet Red Army on July 23, 1944. When the Soviet troops arrived, they found a number of survivors, along with extensive evidence of the atrocities committed there. The camp's infrastructure, including gas chambers and crematoria, was partially intact. 

After the war, Majdanek was preserved as a memorial and museum to honor the victims of the Holocaust. Today, it serves as a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed during the Nazi regime, and it educates visitors about the Holocaust and human rights abuses. Majdanek stands as one of the few camps where physical structures and evidence of the Nazi crimes still remain, making it an important site for history and remembrance.