Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp established by the Nazi regime. There were approximately 1.3 million people were brought to Auschwitz and 1.1 million people were killed. There were three different camps within Auschwitz, Auschwitz 1 (1940), Auschwitz-Birkenau (1941), Auschwitz-Monowitz (1942). The camps forced prisoners to do various kinds of labor helping to expand that camp.
The 3 main goals of all concentration camps were to keep enemies and "enemies" of the Nazi regime in a contained place. The prisoners were used as free laborers. The camps were used to kill certain groups of people. Each camp had a gas chamber which was used to commit mass murders with Zyklon B and a crematorium to burn the bodies. Another common practice at these camps were for doctors to do experiments on the inmates because they could do whatever they wanted to the inmates with no repercussions. They would do experiments on dwarfs, twins, infants and would also practice castrations on adults, killing thousands of people. In January 1945, the Soviets came to Auschwitz and the authorities began emptying the camp. They killed thousands of prisoners before they made about 60,000 prisoners march west 30 miles to different towns in Poland. During the march, at least 3,000 people died from cold, starvation, exhaustion and if they fell behind, they would be shot. |
"work sets you free"
heinrich himmler
Heinrich Himmler was the leader of Auschwitz-Birkenau and founded all the concentration camps. He was the second most powerful Nazi and killed himself with cyanide after being captured by the British Army on May 23, 1945.
GREEN: concentration camps Orange: death camps
sources
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/auschwitz
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005189
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/auschwitz
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005189
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp