Although the conditions in the camps in Germany were much worse, life in the Dutch camps was often severe and the camp command could be rough and cruel. As punishment prisoners had to answer roll call and engage in exercises endlessly, furthermore they were mistreated, locked up in the punishment bunker, or killed. Sometimes entire groups of prisoners were executed all at the same time, as in Amersfoort and Vught. At first the food was often poor and inadequate, so that the prisoners suffered from hunger. Food parcels from outside were a more than welcome supplement to camp rations. The food supply in Westerbork was relatively good. There were a canteen and a camp shop where camp tokens could be used to make purchases. Amersfoort and Vught also had a provisory canteen. The quality of the medical care varied from one camp to another.

References to documents with information about the camp regime

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