Gas Chamber Crematorium II

As we walked on the well-trodden route of the tourist tours and approached crematoria II the gas chamber area was not obvious. As I explained in the last blog, the first view is of the crematoria was the area occupied by the ovens and changing areas. The gas chambers of Crematoria II are located at the back of the ruins jutting at right angle at the junction of the changing area and the ruins where the ovens were located. I walked to the left of the ruins of crematorium II and started to film the area where the gas chambers are located.

As you can see from the second video the roof of the gas chamber of area of Crematorium II is largely intact although collapsed. There are several voids created from the collapsed roof. During the video I asked 'what really happened here'? I don't suppose we shall ever really know.

I took a video of crematorium II from the area where the ovens were located across the gas chamber area.

Crematorium II and III Changing Area

At the top of Hauptstrasse b, beyond the ramp, are large ruins to the left and the right that represent Crematorium II and III.

Before I go on I would like to explain why I classify the main two Crematorium as numbers II and III as I have seen them called Crematorium I and II. Crematorium I is located at the Stamlagger. Therefore its just carrying on the number sequence to Birkenau where Crematorium II, III, IV and V.

Crematorium II and III were mirror image single storey brick-built buildings that contained the changing rooms, gas chambers underground rooms and crematorium ovens and attics above ground. Only ruins remain, the buildings were destroyed by the SS guards early in 1945 to remove evidence of the crimes they had committed at Auschwitz Birkenau.

The first video was the first view I saw of crematorium II ruins.

The second video shows the area of the ruins of crematorium II which is where people sent to the gas chambers were made to undress. In 2009 you can see that the gas chambers located at the back of the ruins were out of sight behind white screens. The third video shows the changing area in crematorium III

 

The following video looks at the height of the changing room area and the entrance where many tens of thousands of prisoners entered Crematorium III. I believe that the area where the roof used to be directly in front of the entrance is where the prisoner band used to play to put the prisoners behind.

 

The Ramp

The ramp within the grounds of Birkenau was built in 1943 and is where, from May 1944, the Hungarian Jews were unloaded from the trains, splitting men from women, fit from the old and weak and young. Prisoners helped the SS guards separate the arrivals into two columns, examples of which can be seen in the Jacob Album. The

The railway spur ran alongside the ramp and led to Crematorium II and III.

At the 'crossroads' on the ramp, where I was attached by a wasp, prisoners were led to the camp doctors where they judged the people based on their fitness, age and occupation decided whether to send them to the left or the right to either the crematorium and their death or to the camp and the hell of working for the SS.

The Women's Camp at Aschwitz Birkenau - Latrine and Wash barracks

The women would try and get up early to wash and go to the toilet. Apparently thousands of women were required to use the toilet and wash barracks each morning. Those unable to go to the toilet would use their food bowls while a prisoner messing herself may be punishable by death. They had to queue in line and only had a limited amount of time to 'do their business'.

You can see from the wash barrack video that there was even a place for the soap. Unfortunately the latrine barrack was locked when I walked round the women's camp so the video is taken through the window of the barrack. You can see the latrine was basically a row of holes in a block which I heard in a documentary two to three women used at once. It is not comprehensible with modern living standards.

A lot of the bartering took place in the wash rooms and latrines. Obtaining a proper pair of shoes, mainly from Canada (where the suitcases from the transports were sent for sorting) was the difference between life and death. The SS provided sandals or clogs for the prisoners which was totally inappropriate for the harsh weather in the Polish winters.

The Women's Camp at Auschwitz Birkenau - Inside a Typical Barrack

The first part of the camp passed on the left-hand side of Hauptstrasse b is the part of the camp that was used to incarcerate the women.

I managed to walk round a typical barrack in the women's section in 2009. On subsequent visits the huts were closed and in a lot of cases have been shored up probably do to collapse

The quality of the video is not great but shows the interior of a typical barrack in the women's section at Birkenau. Up to 6 prisoners would sleep on each shelf. The Kapo's would wake up the women prisoners every morning my hitting the edge of the bunks with sticks while shouting. Any dead bodies were carried and left outside the block for collection.

I took another video of the interior of block 25 known as the 'Death Barrack' in 2013 which is shown below. Sick prisoners selected by the SS guards would wait several days until their turn to be sent to the gas chambers.

Hauptstrasse b

Pictures of the Gate House and Hauptstrasse b from the end of the line

A view of the railway spur leading to the ramp and Crematorium II and III taken from the Gate House

Auschwitz Birkenau. The Camp.

Basically the main railway line leading from the Gate House split the camp with the women (on the left) and the men's camp (on the right).

A view of Auschwitz Birkenau from the top of the Gate House panning from left to right to show what remains of the women's and men's camp. The ramp can clearly be seen to the right of the railway spur. The majority of the people are walking along a pathway, called the Hauptstrasse b by the SS, which leads to Crematorium II and III (ruins remain) and the camp's monument.

The pan of the men's part of the camp from Hauptstrasse b. The vast majority of the men's part of the camp is in ruins. There are a few buildings that have been re-built by the museum to give visitors a chance to see what they looked like when the camp was in operation.

The pan of the women's part of the camp. There are a lot of what appears to be the original buildings left in the women's camp.

Auschwitz II 'Gate of Death' 'Hell's Gate'

The Gate House was the main entrance into the Birkenau camp. I first walked through the pedestrian archway of Gate House leading to Auschwitz Birkenau in 2009. As you will see from the photo below the actual archway of the Gate House that was used from 1943 is shut and everyone visiting Birkenau enters via the pedestrian archway which is a recent addition.

The Gate House is the most recognisable landmark of the Holocaust.

The Birkenau camp was build by Soviet prisoners in 1941 but the Gate House was not built until 1943. Prior to 1944, before the railway was extended directly to 'the ramp', prisoners would be unloaded alongside the main railway lines at Oswiecim and a short distance to march through the Gate House archway to enter the camp. The railway extension was laid in the Spring of 1944 just before the transports from Hungary.

My First View of Auschwitz Birkenau

Travelling about three km from the Stammlager by car, we came across the recognisable 'Gate House' with the camp sprawling behind a barbed wire fence that stretched into the distance. While the Stammlager is a well-maintained camp with mown lawns and swept paths Auschwitz Birkenau has been left in a state of disrepair.

Below are the first videos I took of Auschwitz Birkenau. The car park used to be to the left hand side of the Gate House where the women's camp was located.

Auschwitz II Auschwitz Birkenau

About three kilometres from the Stammlager is another par of the Auschwitz complex - Auschwitz Birkenau where it is estimated that over one million people were murdered.

In memory of all those who lost their lives at Auschwitz Birkenau.

The brothel at the Stammlager

Another strange building was block 24, the Brothel. Block 24 is located just inside the main gate at the Stammlager. And apparently this was not an isolated incident with several brothels across the concentration camp complex. There is not a lot written about who the women were who worked in the brothel. Apparently they were treated better than the other prisoners including better food, so although they were forced to work in the brothel by the SS guards this may have been the difference between life and death. There is no clear reason given for why the brothels exist just many speculatory superstitions. Himmler may have thought that the brothels was an effective incentive to promote hard work. Other theories included making homosexuals to have sex with women would cure them and prevent the spread. Both SS guards and prisoners (but not Jews) used the brothel.

Here are some of pictures of the brothel entrance of Block 24 at the Stammlager:

Above: Block 24 near the main gate from outside the main camp

Left and below: the main entrance of block 24

The hanging Rail

This reconstructed rail where prisoners were hung near Roll Call Square. The prisoners would file pass with the dead prisoners in clear view as a reminder of the punishment for crimes such as being members of the resistance and as retribution for attempted escapes.

More fences

One more chance to look at the barbed wire fences at the Stammlager.Thank you Niece!

The Swimming Pool at Auschwtz

One of the more unusual constructions at the Stammlager is what seems to be a swimming pool. I first heard about the swimming pool in a documentary called Swimming at Auschwitz. So on a trip I just had to see for myself. The swimming pool is located behind Block 6 in the Stammlager near the perimeter fence. It was repaired by the museum in 2005. Apparently it was originally a water trough used as a fire brigade reservoir then converted to a swimming pool for the Kapos and prisoners to use as a reward for good behavior.

Kapos - a prisoner signed by the SS guards to supervise forced labour or carry out administrative duties in the camp. By assigning such prisoners meant that less SS guards were needed. They were very brutal towards the normal prisoners which the SS guards tolerated.

In the photos please note the diving boards and ladders.