EB Visits Auschwitz - 25 March 2008

On 24-25 March 2008, I visited the Polish village of Oswiecim. In mid 1940, this village was occupied by the German SS who referred to it by the German translation of Auschwitz. There were several concentration camps established in Auschwitz area but its most famous are Auschwitz I, and Auschwitz II – Birkenau. All photos taken March 25, 2008.

Auschwitz I


Mass grave located outside the camps entrance. Those interred here were murdered in the camps remaining days. The Soviets buried them in this mass grave after liberating the camp on January 27, 1945.


“Work shall set you free.”








On this rail the SS hung prisoners. The bodies of murdered victims were left on display for the others in the camp as a warning. This is also the area where the daily counts took place.


Monument beside the rail.

 

In this courtyard the SS murdered thousands, usually by gun shot. The windows on the adjacent buildings are boarded and bricked up to not allow other prisoners being held there to see what was happening in the courtyard. Dr. Mengela performed some his grotesque ‘experiments’ in both of the buildings seen here.


Memorial in the courtyard with a replica gunfire backstop set up what is known as “the death wall”.



Entrance to the gas chamber and crematorium. This facility was used between Fall 1941 and Summer 1943. After 1943, mass executions were transferred to the facilities at Auschwtz II. This facility could handle the murder and cremation of approximately 350 persons per day.





On this platform on April 16, 1947, Auschwitz camp commandant Rudolph Hoss was hung after being found guilty of murder by Polish authorities. The gallows were built on the site of the former Gestapo barracks where many prisoners had been interrogated and tortured before being sent to their deaths.

 

Aushwitz II – Birkenau



“The Gate of Death”. One and a half million people passed through this gate and never left Auschwitz.


SS Headquarters




The end of the tracks.

 

The train platforms were people disembarked the trains and went through selection. Those who weren’t chosen for work were sent directly to the Gas Chambers. 75% of those arriving in Auschwitz went directly to the Gas Chambers. Those chosen for work were assigned to a barracks.






These are toilets.

 

This gate leads to the camps as well as the road leading to the Gas Chambers.


Running parallel to the train platform, down this road prisoners walked on their way to their deaths. The Gas Chambers are located behind the red brick building in the distance near the tree line. It took maybe 20 minutes to make the walk from the trains to the Gas Chambers.


Ruins of Gas Chamber II


A Memorial set up at the ponds located adjacent to the Gas Chambers. These ponds were used for the disposal of human remains after they left the crematoriums. To this day, the water remains grey.


Down these steps walked a million and a half people who never saw daylight again. These steps lead to the ‘changing room’ where victims were forced to get undressed before heading into the ‘showers’.


Beneath the rubble in this depression was Gas Chamber II.


A personal memorial left on the ruins.



The International Memorial






“Never Again”

 

They're coming up ok for me, Owen. Perhaps it depends on your broadband speed?
Very sensitively taken photographs. Many thanks, EB.

 

Very strong photographs. Words fail me.

 

Chilling yet great photos. Never again indeed.

 

Thanks for posting EB.

Lest we forget

 

Thats one thing that got me too. The sheer size of the place was something I didn't realize until seeing it first hand. I guess at one point they had upwards of 150,000 people crammed into the camp. The really scary thing is that plans were underway for an expansion. Construction was already started on water collection towers for the expansion before the Soviets arrived.

 

The phjotos help me visulaise the sheer scale of the place. Well done, EB

 

Amazing photos mate. Thanx for posting them.

 

somewhere i could never go,or belsen.shivers up my spine,probebly another nervous breakdown,if i did.lee.

 

I can only echo V P's words. Well done and thank-you.

 

Even now to see the places in such clarity where so many met their fate sends a shiver down my spine , thanks for posting EB,

 

Thank you for the photos - a reminder of a place I will have to go back to at some stage of my life.
Cold day to be there the site offers little by way of shelter.
To me Birkenau was what it was all about - thanks once again for the photos.

 

EB

Thank you so much for this excellent posting.

Lest we forget

All best wishes

Ron Goldstein