Europe's last concentration camp Belene to become a museum
Belene, the last functioning concentration camp in Europe, located on an island in the Danube River in northern Bulgaria near the Romanian border, is set to be turned into a museum.
Victims and relatives of those detained at the Belene camp gathered for a commemorative ceremony at the former site, which was used by Bulgaria’s former communist regime between 1949 and 1987 to punish political opponents. The regime held power for 45 years until 1989.
At the event, Bulgarian Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev unveiled a memorial plaque at the camp's entrance and announced that the government had taken steps to convert the site into a museum.
"More than 20,000 people passed through Belene, many of them without a trial or conviction. Some lost their lives here," Georgiev told Anadolu Agency (AA). “Nothing has been forgotten, and as long as we exist, the stories of Belene will be told. Violations of human rights and attacks on the values of democracy are unforgivable.”
The plaque, inscribed with the words “Never Again Totalitarianism,” is part of a broader effort to preserve the nation's historical memory. Georgiev added, "This inhumane and unacceptable chapter of Bulgarian history must never be repeated. The Ministry of Justice and the government are taking joint measures to preserve the historical memory of Belene. The site will be granted the status of 'cultural and historical heritage' — a long-awaited step that we have recently fulfilled."
The minister emphasized that punishing individuals for political jokes or critical opinions, as was common during the communist era, without trial or conviction, is "completely unacceptable."
“Young people will come here to learn, to see the past with their own eyes. We support the initiative to grant Belene monument status. It’s vital for more people to visit, to hear, and to remember what happened here.”
Long-Awaited Decision
Hristo Hristov, a journalist and founder of the “Memory 1945–1989” Foundation, which studies Bulgaria’s communist era, described the move as a long-awaited and welcomed decision.
“Across all former Soviet-influenced countries, similar sites have been turned into museums that inform visitors of communism’s crimes,” Hristov said. “We launched an initiative to declare Belene a national cultural monument seven years ago. Finally, we are seeing progress. We need courageous politicians willing to take responsibility.”
Türkiye’s Support for the Victims
Turkish Ambassador to Sofia, Mehmet Sait Uyanık, also attended the ceremony, expressing solidarity with the victims and their families.
“Between 1984 and 1989, during the so-called ‘Revival Process,’ more than 550 ethnic Turks were detained and tortured in the Belene camp,” he told AA. “We are working on a project to turn the camp into a national memorial and public museum. We attach great importance to ensuring that the suffering endured here is neither forgotten nor erased from memory. This cause resonates strongly with both the Turkish community in Bulgaria and citizens in Türkiye.”
He added, “At the time, the forced assimilation campaign caused a major outcry in Türkiye. Today, both the relatives of victims in Bulgaria and in Türkiye continue to honor their suffering. We stand by them, as always.”
Painful Memories Still Fresh
Survivors and relatives of victims traveled from various parts of Bulgaria and Türkiye to attend the ceremony and share their stories with AA.
Adem Özkan, who spent 1.5 years at Belene, recalled the heartbreak of his family being forced to change their names. “My children cried, asking why I couldn’t protect their names. I will never forget their tears,” he said. “My daughter hugged me and cried, saying, ‘Daddy, don’t go. We’ll never see you again.’ Those memories haunt me to this day.”
“During the assimilation campaign, Bulgaria felt like an open-air prison. I realized the only escape was to migrate to our homeland — Türkiye. We fought, but I believe we were saved thanks to Türkiye.”
Another former detainee, Ali Mustafa Hüseyin, attended the ceremony with his son, Taner. He recalled that people were brought to the island simply for resisting name changes. “We were not allowed to use our Turkish names. That’s why I was brought here.”
Taner, who was a child when his father was detained, said, “We cried a lot. I couldn’t see my father even once during his time there, except for a brief moment, which was cut short because we were speaking Turkish.”
Muzaffer Erkan, who spent over a year at the camp with his father, said new generations should visit Belene. “This site must be open to the public, to educate people and prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.”
Another survivor, Mümün Çolakoğlu, emphasized the need for proper museumization of the site. “They were supposed to write our Turkish names on the concrete columns across the way — they never did. This place must become a model site to show our youth and future generations what happened here.”
After World War II, the Bulgarian Communist Party came to power in 1944 with the backing of the Soviet Red Army. It established the “People’s Court” to prosecute opponents of the regime.
During its proceedings, 28,630 political opponents were detained and tried in 134 separate cases. Of these, 2,730 were sentenced to death and 12,000 were exiled.
Thousands were sent to over 20 forced labor and concentration camps across the country. Among them, Belene was the most long-standing, operating from 1949 until its closure in 1987. It is estimated that over 20,000 people passed through its gates.
During the forced assimilation campaign targeting Turks and Muslims between 1984 and 1989, more than 550 were detained in Belene without trial or conviction.
