Did the world know about the concentration camps for the Jews in 1938?

Answer 1

Yes. The first published descriptions of conditions in concentration camps were published from August 1933 onwards and appeared in all major languages. (Please note that these were not extermination camps for Jews, but mainly intended for political opponents. The extermination camps were built later).

Answer 2

When the first of the Jews were taken to the camps they never knew they were death camps, they were told they would be able to start a new life, to bring whatever they could carry with them.

Upon arrival their possessions [ including clothes ] were taken and sorted into piles by Jews already there.

Word soon got out about death camps and they became wiser.

Communication and Media in this period in Germany was controlled tightly, while the Jews were sent off the death camps the Germans enjoyed an obliviously rich lifestyle. Most of the population claim that they knew nothing of what went on in the camps but it is suspected that they knew something evil went on although it was never spoken of in public. It was obvious they were being rounded up but the naive commoners believed that Hitler was bettering them.

The British prime minister at this time had been given information about the goings on in these camps but believed them to be exaggerated. It is unfortunate that everyone believed Hitler was bettering Germany and let him be, until the attack of Poland even then when war was declared it seemed like he had just been a little greedy. It was not until later that they realised the full extent of the mass killings.

It seems both the Americans and the Brits looked the other way when faced with the facts and as for Soviet awareness, it seems almost certain that they were aware. Besides the Western allies sharing information, the Soviets had a network of partisans and guerrillas operating in those areas who would certainly have provided information (Yahoo answer's last paragraph)

This info is my thoughts after watching many documentaries on WWII, i personally remember seeing one picture in a history text book of a woman and her husband walking through a death camp and the look of Horror and surprise on her face to indicate she had no idea.

The soldiers forced the Germans to visit the camps once they gained control of an area [generally towards the end of the war]

Answer 3

Yes, 'the world' knew about the concentration camps, though probably not in much detail. However, the world had much less information about the extermination camps.

Please see the related question.

Answer 4

everyone knew what they were like in 1933.

no one (outside of the camps) knew what they were like in 1944-5.