Auschwitz

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Auschwitz became a symbol of terror and genocide all over the world. It was established in the 1940s by the Germans, in the suburbs of Oswiecim. The main reason for the establishment was the overpopulation of local prisons. The mass arrests of Poles were increasing beyond the capacity of these prisons. Auschwitz was supposed to be the same style as the other camps that the Nazis were building since the early 1930s. In 1942, it became the largest of the death camps. The Auschwitz camp was divided into three sections. The first was the main camp, later named “Auschwitz I.” The number of prisoners was around 15,000, sometimes rising above 20,000. In 1944, the main camp held 16,000 prisoners. This was also the location of the SS garrison administration, the commander of the local garrison, and the commandant of Auschwitz I. It was also the primary seat of the main offices of the political department and the prisoner labor department. The second camp was the Birkenau camp, which in 1944, held over 90,000 prisoners. It was also known as “Auschwitz II.” The third camp was a collection of ...

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