French women via Switzerland to France

The first evacuation from Ravensbrück was by the ICRC: 299 French and one Polish woman left Ravensbrück 5 April 1945 and were brought by ICRC trucks to Switzerland and from there by train to France[1]. This came about by an exchange: in France 454 German civilian internees were released[2].

Their names from a list in the archive of ITS in Bad Arolsen

The French women were in a bad shape. Almost four months after their return to France, 28 of them had already died[3]. The ICRC’s experience with the condition of these women led to restraint in the event of further long-distance evacuation with trucks

[1] Dokumentation über die Tätigkeit des Intern. Komitees vom Roten Kreuz zu Gunsten der in den deutschen Konzentrationslagern inhaftierten Zivilpersonen (1939-1945)

[2] The ICRC and the detainees in Nazi concentration camps, Sebastian Farre

[3] ACIRC G 44/R-216.02 dated 20-7-1945