Sonderkommandos were
work units made up of
German Nazi death camp prisoners. They were composed of Jews who were forced, on threat of their own deaths, to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims during
the Holocaust. The death-camp
Sonderkommandos, who were always inmates, should not be confused with the
SS-Sonderkommandos which were
ad hoc units formed from various
SS offices between 1938 and 1945.