1. Jews: A significant portion of the prisoners at Bergen-Belsen were Jews from across Europe. Many Jewish prisoners were transferred from other concentration camps, such as Auschwitz, as the war progressed.
2. Political Prisoners: Bergen-Belsen also held political prisoners who opposed the Nazi regime. These individuals might be activists, members of resistance movements, or people who expressed critical views toward the Nazi government.
3. Sinti and Roma (Gypsies): The Nazi regime considered the Sinti and Roma peoples as "racially inferior" and targeted them for persecution. A substantial number of Sinti and Roma were imprisoned at Bergen-Belsen.
4. Jehovah's Witnesses: Jehovah's Witnesses were a religious group that refused to pledge allegiance to the Nazi state due to their pacifist beliefs. They were considered enemies of the state and many were incarcerated in concentration camps, including Bergen-Belsen.
5. Homosexuals: Homosexuals faced persecution and imprisonment under Nazi rule. Some homosexual men were sent to concentration camps, with Bergen-Belsen being one of them.
6. Allied Prisoners of War (POWs): During the last months of the war, Bergen-Belsen also held Allied prisoners of war. Their living conditions deteriorated rapidly as the camp became increasingly overcrowded and food shortages escalated.
It's essential to note that while these were the primary groups targeted, there were also individual cases of people from other backgrounds who were imprisoned at Bergen-Belsen. However, in overall, the victims' identities and characteristics primarily align with the groups enumerated above.