Auschwitz

Auschwitz was a concentration camp and an extermination camp that was set up by Nazi Germany in the second world war. It was located In Oswiecim Poland. It was the largest concentration camp established by Germans, It consisted of Auschwitz I , Auscwitz II, Birkenau, Auschwitz III-Monowitz, and 45 other satellite camps. These were the main camps each serving a different purpose which i will explain below.

Auschwitz I

Auschwitz I was the main concentration camp and served as the administrative sector and was responsible of 70,000 deaths. Most of the prisoners were Jewish and soviet prsoners, althought it did serve a home to some german criminals as well. Prisoners were identified by classes, within these classes they had different colored marks representing the ethnicity of the prisoner(s). Soviets and Jews were treated the worst. Prisoners were poorly treated, they worked and lived in poor living conditions suffered from disease and mal nutrition. This was a high cause of deaths amoung prisoners.

standing and starvation cells
* Standing cells were for un ruley prisoners, there were forced to stand in a tiny room at night and work all day.
* Starvation cells were also for unruley prisoners and here they would not feed or hydrate the prisoners they were sent here until they died!
* Dark cells had only a tiny window and nothing else, prisoners would suffocate in the cell when the oxgyen was used up, many SS would light candles to use up more oxygen faster. and would make them hang thier head back so they would eventually dislocate thier shoulders.

The gas chambers opened up during 1941-1942, killing 60,000 people The gas they used was based off of the deadly cyanide.

Auschwitz II

Auschwitz II had opened up because number I had quickly became over populated. Auschwitz II was much larger than I and ultimately had more prisoner pass through the gates. This was the extermination camp. It had two gas chambers known as the little red house and the little white house. later they decided to add more and ended up with 5 gassing chambers. Prisoners were stripped down and were forced to remove all possessions. They were also searched for any gold that ,ay have been in their mouth(teeth). Once they were gassed other prisoners that were inslaved thier would carry the corpses too the cremation stations.

Auschwitz III Monowitz

Served as a fuel and rubber plant and in slaved around 11,000 prisoners, 40,000 were inslaved workers, and 8,000worked in the mines there. Onlt the weak and sicked were gassed here, or ones who couldnt keep of with work.

at auschwitz I many SS doctors conducted many experiments on prisoners. Some injected chemicals into the womens uteruses to see if they could seal them shut. Others did cruel experiments on twins and dwarfs. Other children were hung from wall hooks on walls of the basement.

Selection and Genocide
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When prisoners arrived they were divided in two. Those who went too the right went and stayed at the camp and those who went to the left went to the gassing chambers immediately, those who were selected to die were children, women with children, elderly, or the ones who failed health inspection.
The Chosen ones to die were taking to the gassing chambers and told by SS officers that they were going to be showered and de-loused, which was a lie. The gassing chambers were disguised as a shower facility, complete with dummy shower heads. once the prisoners were entered into the “shower” they were gassed and killed. Up too 20,000 prisoners could be gassed and cremated in a single day!

Everyday Life
The prisoners were awoken everyday at 4:30 in the morning, and were given bout 30 minuets to get ready, they were then marched out to there assigned area of work, in their stripped uniforms, with no underwear, and wooden shoes without socks, which rarely fit correctly causing pain throughout the day. There were no breaks during work and they were timed while using the restrooms. They had 12 hour work days. After the workday the prisoners were then taken too a mandatory roll call, and if there was a prisoner missing, they prisoners had too stand until they found the prisoner or learned the reason of why they were not there. No matter what the weather was like! (sounds miserable esp. in the harsh winters) Once roll call was complete, prisoners were then sent to individual punishment or group punishment. After that they were then given bread and water and were sent to bed.