Windsheim DP camp was located in a vicinity of small spa town in Bavaria in the American-occupied zone of Germany.

Windsheim was one of the most overcrowded camps in the area. In November 1946, despite a capacity of 2,500, the camp had 3,200 inhabitants. Over 500 of them had no living space and had to sleep in attics or cellars. Sanitary facilities were also far from satisfactory and eighty percent of rooms did not have basic furniture. The constant overpopulation negatively affected all aspects of camps community life. In the winter of 1946, the primary school in Winsdsheim had to be closed as barracks in which it was located was used to accommodate the growing population of the camp. Despite that, the camp maintained a well developed religious life. One third of Windsheim’s population was orthodox and the DPs built in the camp a synagogue and a mikvah. At one point the camp had three Yeshivot- one for Hungarian and two for Lithuanian Jews. There was also a Talmud Torah and a Cheder for 40 children. 11 km from the main camp was located a kibbutz. Its members attended evening classes in the camp’s school as well as Hebrew classes organized especially for them.

Despite problems with finding space for training, the camp maintained a number of sports teams which included a very strong football team, table tennis section, chess section, boxing section and a physical training group.

198 of the camps inhabitants attended an ORT vocational school established in Windsheim. As the large percentage of the students was Hungarian Jews who did not speak Yiddish, ORT had initial problems with effective running of the school. They were however soon overcame and courses were organized in  dressmaking, men’s tailoring, children’s tailoring, machine knitting, locksmiths training, radio technology, dental mechanics, joinery, typewriter repair, book keeping and beautician training. The director of the school was engineer Iser Israelewitch.

The camp was closed in July 1949.