Alayna MartzBell 3A

February 6, 2013

The Center’s of Death

Auschwitz-Birkeneau was located in Oswiecim, 37 miles west of Krakow and is one of the largest, most deadliest death camps during WWII. Auschwitz was ordered into establishment in April 1940, by Chief of SS, Heinrich Himmler. This infamous death camp was ruled by Rudolph Höss, and separated by 3 camps- Forced Labor, Concentration, and Death. By March 1,1941, the population was estimated to nearly 10,900 and of those were mostly poles also known as the polish. Auschwitz was eventually populated to 1,100,000 Jews, tens of thousands of poles and 19,000 gypsies. The primary purpose of this camp was sadly, cold blooded mass murder, they killed the prisoners by gassing, hanging, shooting, beating, worked, and starved. The last execution at Auschwitz-Birkeneau was on January 6, 1945.

Lace, William. The Death Camps. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1998. Print , . “Auschwitz.” The Holocaust, 1997. Print

Auschwitz-Birkeneau

Above is a gate entrance into Auschwitz-Birkeneau that says “Work Will Set You Free” in German.

jewishvirtuallibrary.org

Bergen-BelsenBergen-Belsen was located in northwest Germany, the prisoners began to

arrive in July 1943, the near beginning of WWII. In May of 1943, soviet prisoners of war camp, was taken over by the SS and was renamed “detention camps.” Heinrich Himmler planned to exchange for money and goods, for this he used his “exchange Jews”. “Exchange Jews” were prisoners with important political or economic connection abroad and those who held South American passports to Palestine. December 1944, Joseph Krammer became camp commandant, as well “recuperation camp,” a sector of the camp received ill exhausted slaves from Dora-Mittelbau. The camp was liberated by the british on April 15, 1945. 11 of the many staff members were sentenced to death by military court in November 1945, and were happily executed on December 12, 1945. One of the many parts were left and used as a placed persons camp until 1951. A visitor center was established in 1966 and is still opened to this day.

This picture is the site of Bergen-Belsen, one of the many death camps associated with the holocaust.

, . “Bergen-Belsen.” The Holocaust. 1997. Print

BuchenwaldBuchenwald, the camp known for its terrible conditions, was located in

Germany and opened in July of 1937. During WWII many minority groups were being sent to the one of many centers of death, though the first were political prisoners and criminals. Jews began to arrive more and more to Buchenwald in July 1938, but not to many years later during October of 1942, they were ordered to Auschwitz 1944, Hungarian Jews arrived to Buchenwald and the population rose to 89,000 and more. The doctors at the camp were using the Jews as their gineau pigs for their medical experiments. The American Forces liberated at least 4,000 Jews and 1,000 children. 31 members of the Buchenwald staff were put on trial in 1947, for war crimes. 2 were sentenced to death and 4 were sentenced to life imprisonment. In the end, 20,000 to 43,045 died or were sadly murdered.

, . “Buchenwald.” The Holocaust. 1977. Print

Above is a picture of Buchenwald, and a couple men sitting around the camp on their death beds.

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_ph.php?MediaId=5051

Chelmno

Chelmno was located 47 miles from Lódz in Poland. This camp was the first to use gassing as a killing tactic. Chelmno served to kill the Jews of Lódz in Poland, the Jews were systematically killed as part of “The Final Solution.” This death center was separated into 2,Schloss and Waldanger. Schloss was where the prisoners were processed and killed and where the camp staff lived. Waldanger held the mass graved and the crematoria ovens. The first victims arrived on December7, 1941 and the gassing began the next day. When the prisoners arrived one by one, they proceeded to the reception area and their possessions were then confiscated.

This a picture of the many people entering their way, breathing their last breath into the death camp, Chelmno.

, . “Chelmno.” The Holocaust. 1997. Print

ushmm.org