German re-armament
During the German re-armament, the production was expanded starting in 1934. Rheinmetall and became nationalised as Rheinmetall-Borsig. Housing for workers was built in Hohenrieth, now also part of Südheide, in 1936. When World War II began, Polish forced labourers were used, and from 1941 also Soviet ones (and finally Jewish deportees). As allied forces approached, the prisoners were forced to dig their own graves in mock execution. Once the SS guards fled, most of the prisoners (except a few who escaped) were forcibly removed back to Bergen Belsen by local civilians.