AUSCHWITZ....Arbeit macht frei (Work Sets You Free) THIS ALBUM CONTAINS DISTRESSING IMAGES

Work Sets you Free

Auschwitz, also known as Auschwitz-Birkenau, opened in 1940 and was the largest of the Nazi concentration and death camps. Located in southern Poland, Auschwitz initially served as a detention center for political prisoners.

The Jews believed it was re-settlement from the Ghetto

However, it evolved into a network of camps where Jewish people and other perceived enemies of the Nazi state were exterminated, often in gas chambers, or used as slave labour.

The Camp was Surrounded by electrified fencing

the chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, implemented a policy that came to be known as the “Final Solution.” Hitler was determined not just to isolate Jews in Germany and countries annexed by the Nazis, subjecting them to dehumanizing regulations and random acts of violence.

Guard Towers

constantly watched over the prisoners

The History

the chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, implemented a policy that came to be known as the “Final Solution.” Hitler was determined not just to isolate Jews in Germany and countries annexed by the Nazis, subjecting them to dehumanizing regulations and random acts of violence.

Living Conditions at Auschwitz 1

Three-tier wooden beds or three-tier wooden bunks intended for 15 prisoners to sleep in were installed in the other stalls, for a total capacity of more than 400 prisoners per barracks. In the brick blocks, prisoners slept on straw strewn on the boards of the bunks; paper mattresses stuffed with so-called “wood wool” were placed on the beds or bunks in the wooden barracks.

Built to House 180 prisoners, housed 700

The brick barracks stood in the oldest part of the camp, known as sector BI, where construction began in the fall of 1941. Inside each of them were 60 brick partitions with three tiers, making a total of 180 sleeping places, referred to as “bunks,” designed to accommodate 4 prisoners. The SS therefore envisioned a capacity of over 700 prisoners per block.

Living in Auschwitz

At first, the buildings had earthen floors. Over time, these were covered with a layer of bricks lying flat, or with a thin layer of poured concrete. The barracks were unheated in the winter. Two iron stoves were indeed installed, but these were insufficient to heat the entire space. Nor were there any sanitary facilities in the barracks. Only in 1944 were sinks and toilets installed in a small area inside each block. Nor was there any electric lighting at the beginning.

EUTHANASIA PROGRAM

The Nazis constantly searched for more efficient means of extermination. At the Auschwitz camp in Poland, they conducted experiments with Zyklon B (previously used for fumigation) by gassing some 600 Soviet prisoners of war and 250 ill prisoners in September 1941. Zyklon B pellets, converted to lethal gas when exposed to air. They proved the quickest gassing method and were chosen as the means of mass murder at Auschwitz. At the height of the deportations, up to 6,000 Jews were gassed each day at Auschwitz.

EUTHANASIA PROGRAM

The Prisoners were taken to an underground room, ordered to strip then sent into a mass shower, from vents in the ceiling these canisters were dropped in then quickly closed. It would take between 1 to 20 minutes to kill everyone inside the chamber.

AUSCHWITZ: GENESIS OF DEATH CAMPS

With more pressure to exterminate faster and thousands of new arrivals daily plans were drawn up to build Auschwitz-Birkenau , a much larger camp with more gas chambers.

Eye Glasses

The Nazis would take everything from the jewish prisoners before they were put to death or to work.. Above is a small amount of eye glasses left behind after the way.. Most artefacts had been removed or destroyed by the Guards before Auschwitz was liberated by Russian troops towards the end of the war.

43,000 pairs of shoes

One of the saddest sights at Auschwitz is the display of shoes in a huge glass case that takes up half a barracks room in Block 5. The shoes seem to be deteriorating and are mostly the same dark gray color, except for a few women's or children's shoes that are made of red leather. The red shoes stand out like the red coat worn by the little girl in Schindler's List, a black and white picture.

43,000 pairs of Shoes

each pair of shoes tells a story of one person who lived and probably died at Auschwitz.

43,000 pairs of Shoes

One of the saddest sights at Auschwitz is the display of shoes in a huge glass case that takes up half a barracks room in Block 5. The shoes seem to be deteriorating and are mostly the same dark gray color, except for a few women's or children's shoes that are made of red leather. The red shoes stand out like the red coat worn by the little girl in Schindler's List, a black and white picture.

43,000 pairs of Shoes

each pair of shoes tells a story of one person who lived and probably died at Auschwitz.

Each Suitcase tells a story

There is a large display case in Block 5, taking up half of a barracks room, which contains the suitcases brought by Jewish victims to the camp. The Jews were instructed to mark their suitcases for later identification; you can still see the names written on the leather cases in large letters in the photo below. On some of the suitcases is the word Waisenkind, which means orphan; this is proof that there were children among the victims at Auschwitz.

Case upon Case

The leather suitcases have not deteriorated like the shoes, which probably means that the shoes were disinfected with Zyklon-B in preparation for sending them back to Germany, but the suitcases weren't. There are also some baskets in this display, used by the victims to carry their meager belongings with them to the camp.

Every Suitcase has its own story

The leather suitcases have not deteriorated like the shoes, which probably means that the shoes were disinfected with Zyklon-B in preparation for sending them back to Germany, but the suitcases weren't. There are also some baskets in this display, used by the victims to carry their meager belongings with them to the camp.

Suitcases

There is a large display case in Block 5, taking up half of a barracks room, which contains the suitcases brought by Jewish victims to the camp. The Jews were instructed to mark their suitcases for later identification; you can still see the names written on the leather cases in large letters in the photo below. On some of the suitcases is the word Waisenkind, which means orphan; this is proof that there were children among the victims at Auschwitz.

Other Items

There are many items that have been sorted and stored and that were not destroyed

Other Items

There are many items that have been sorted and stored and that were not destroyed... remember this is only a small amount as most had already been moved on during the war

Look out towers

stretched all around just the other side of the electric fences

One Child's Shoe

fallen from the tower of thousands of shoe's it sits alone at the front.

Brushes, as far as the eye can see

thousands of them every make size and style

brushes

thousands of them every make size and style

Living inside Auschwitz 1

although undignified The brick blocks of Auschwitz 1 did have WC's and running water

Living in Auschwitz 1

although undignified The brick blocks of Auschwitz 1 did have WC's and running water

Living Inside Auschwitz 1

The Wash rooms

Living Inside Auschwitz 1

The better sleeping conditions