The Kamenz-Herrental subcamp also included a glassworks. The Daimler-Benz AG owned a subsidiary in Kamenz under the cover name 'Elster GmbH', which produced armaments-related components (e.g., engine parts). Prisoners were forced to work there under extremely harsh and inhumane conditions. They were driven to work with rifle butts, and exhausted inmates were left lying in a corner of the hall. 

The prisoners’ labor deployment in the glassworks was organized and supervised by the labor engineer Lenhardt. Prisoners were taken from the camp at 6 a.m. and had to line up in the yard of the glassworks. The working day lasted 12 hours, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The guard detail consisted of at least 45 SS men, and the work took place under the supervision of a sergeant.

R. Vignon, an eyewitness, testified: Before Christmas, we were led after a fairly long march to a factory in Kamenz. We were divided into two shifts according to our specialization (fitters, turners, electricians); one night shift and one day shift. 

There were frequent air raid alarms that caused work interruptions. Every two weeks we had a Sunday off.

The evacuation began in February 1945 toward Bavaria after the Red Army crossed the Lusatian Neisse River. The Gestapo in Dresden ordered that the prisoners be marched on foot to Penig, a subcamp of Buchenwald with conditions similar to those in Kamenz. It was, however, clear that the destination could not be reached. Nevertheless, on February 24, about 200 to 220 deportees were sent on the way to Penig. Due to misinformation about the situation in Penig and a change of orders from Dresden, the deportees had to turn back and return to Kamenz.

Without shoes, the prisoners returned to Kamenz and found the bodies of other inmates who had remained there. They were detained in Kamenz until the final evacuation. Those who reported sick were murdered by the guards. According to eyewitnesses, a small form of resistance emerged in Kamenz, consisting of acts of solidarity among prisoners. 

The conditions outside the camp were at least partially visible to nearby residents. Guards ensured that no one lingered close to the site, yet it was clearly visible how prisoners were driven to work and how regularly bodies were brought back. Speaking about the camp or one’s own observations was strictly forbidden in Kamenz and could lead to imprisonment. Camp commander Wilhelm Wirker emphasized this prohibition whenever he was questioned about the situation. 

He claimed that the accusations were mere rumors and that no one died in the camp. Despite all concealment and restrictions, some local residents managed to smuggle food into the camp or to prisoner work columns. In return, they often received small tokens of gratitude from the prisoners, such as wooden carvings or handmade items. Apart from these gestures, the townspeople largely kept their distance from the Herrental camp. There was no protest from the nearby church or clergy. In general, the population maintained a reserved silence toward the visible reality.

On March 10, 1945, all prisoners were to be transferred to Dachau. Before the march began, several more prisoners were killed because they were deemed too weak to make the journey. Of the 690 prisoners, most were prisoners of war. The number of Jewish prisoners cannot be clearly verified. A large portion were French, Russian, and Italian. The transport was planned to take six days through Czechoslovakia and Mauthausen. The deportees stood for hours in the cold and rain; those who collapsed were thrown onto carts. 

Eventually, they were taken to the Wiesa railway station, where people were crammed into narrow wagons for transport to Dachau. During the journey, they were not allowed to leave the wagons, and the provisions were inadequate. Some prisoners attempted to escape when the train stopped in Czechoslovakia, but without success. A second stop followed after American air raids. Several people died during the transport. In Mauthausen, the train was extended, and on March 16, 1945, the prisoners arrived in Dachau, where more of those from Kamenz perished.

After the prisoners had been taken away, an Italian labor detachment was brought into the camp to clean it. Witnesses reported seeing white ash and human bones near the boilers. 

These remains were also found in the factory’s waste. The Gestapo forbade the population to speak about what they had seen in the camp.