By: C. Howe

Auschwitz-Birkeneau or Auschwitz II was the biggest death camp and concentration camp ever built and was originally named Ośwęcim. This camp is located in Poland and four gas chambers were built when Auschwitz opened. After the Nazi invasion in 1941, Auschwitz contained more barracks for Soviets and other prisoners. In the barracks, the prisoners slept on shelf- like beds. About 1.5 million to 4 million prisoners were murdered at Auschwitz. More than 1,250,000 people were murdered by gas chambers, labor, and malnutrition. At least 2,000 were crammed into a chamber at once. The estimated amount of prisoners murdered were 1,100,000 Jews, more than 10,000 Poles, 19,000 gypsies, and 12,000 Soviet prisoners of war. Lawton, Clive. “Auschwitz.” Cambridge, Massachusetts. Candlewick Press Print Auschwitz-Birkeneau

Corpses of murdered victims in Auschwitz Auschwitz-Birkeneau

Crematoriums were big buildings with ovens to burn the excess bodies. Crematoriums would go day and night to keep the bodies to a minimum. Sometimes the crematoriums could not keep up with the death rate and would have stacks of bodies piled outside. All of the bodies could not be burned, so instead they would be buried. People called the Sondercommando were forced to feed the bodies into the crematorium doors to be burned. Overall, about 8,000 bodies were turned to ashes at Auschwitz. Clive, Lawton. Auschwitz. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Candlewick Press Print. Crematories

View of a pile of ashes of human remains outside the crematory of Buchenwald Crematories

Death marches were forced marches over a very long distance. These mainly took place when the camps were being evacuated. The first death march took place in Poland after World War II. Many prisoners started out fine in the beginning of the march, but the numbers started to slowly drop. Whoever was too weak to go on was shot on the spot. Many thousands died during the marches. Whoever made it out alive was liberated or set free. Encyclopedia of the Holocaust Print Death Marches

A view of a death march from Dachau. German civilians secretly photographed several death marches from the Dachau concentration camp as the prisoners moved slowly through the Bavarian towns of Gruenwald, Wolfratshausen, and Herbertshausen. Few civilians gave aid to the prisoners on the death marches. Germany, April 29, 1945 Death Marches

The first gas chamber used a toxic, odorless, and tasteless gas called carbon monoxide. In early 1942, gassing was carried out to camps all around. There was another type of gassing, but instead of using a shower room, vans were used. Gas vans were first used in Kalisz, Poland. The gas used in the vans was the exhaust of the van. The only places that used gas vans were Euthanasia centers. In Treblinka, they used the exhaust of their tanks to gas prisoners. In later years, another toxic gas called Zyklon B was used. It was originally used as a insecticide, but the Germans decided to make another purpose for it. “Gas Chambers, gas vans, and crematoria.” The Holocaust. Print Gas Chambers

Gas chamber in the main camp of Auschwitz immediately after liberation. Poland, January Gas Chamber

Before World War II, Lodz Ghetto contained about 233,000 Jews. Once the Nazis occupied the city, the military government established a Jewish Council. There was never any work done because the Jewish board members would always get teased or made fun of by the Nazis. On May 1, 1941, Lodz Ghetto was put behind barbed wire. Lodz contained 31,721 single-room apartments. Each apartment contained about 10 Jews and no running water. At the end of 1940, 6,560 Jews died in Lodz. Nazis would trick the Jews into being taken to a death camp. First, they would say they are going to take workers to a job site to clean up. They would take three parties, the first two to job sites, the third to a death camp. By mid 1944, Lodz Ghetto was the last Ghetto standing. Altman, Linda. “The Holocaust Ghettos.” Springfield, NJ. Enslow Publishers Inc Print Lodz Ghetto

Child street vendors. Lodz ghetto, Poland, Lodz Ghetto

Zyklon B is a toxic gas named Hydrogen Cyanide. This gas was originally used as an insecticide for farms and such. The Nazis started to use it in their gas chambers at their camps. This gas was mainly used at Auschwitz. It was delivered in pellet form, so it would be easy to use in the gas chambers. The pellets were emptied into the chamber and they would turn into gas when it hit the floor. The prisoners would die from asphyxiation within 15 to 20 minutes. “Zyklon B.” Learning about the Holocaust. Print Zyklon B

Zyklon B pellets found at the liberation of the Majdanek camp. Poland, after July 1944 Zyklon B