over its period of operations from 1946 to 1950 the dp camp housed an average of around 1,500 people, making it one of the largest of its kind in northern germany. there was a continuous inflow of around 20 to 50 people per month — soldiers returning from captivity and germans resettled from denmark and schleswig-holstein. around 60% of the refugees hailed from silesia, the others came mainly from eastern prussia, the baltic states, volhynia, galicia or the sudetenland. initially, there were only around 100 able-bodied men, who mostly worked in agriculture or the timber industry. by 1947, businesses founded in the camp employed more than 300 people. the camp administration and hospital (see below) employed more than 70. a school and kindergarten for 350 children were set up. church services were held in the former kdf-hall. the landkreis soltau administered the camp, but the inmates elected a camp council and a "lagerleiter" (administrator).