Auschwitz

As we have seen so far in our reading, Auschwitz is a common area that is referred to multiples times. Auschwitz refers to a network of concentration and labor camps in Nazi occupied Poland during World War 2. The three main camps that Auschwitz consisted of were Auschwitz I, Birkenau, and Monowitz. Auschwitz is perhaps the most known concentration camp due to is horrifying conditions and extremely high death toll. Auschwitz I was the original camp and housed many prisoners. It also functioned as a labor facility and was the administrative center for all of the camps. Birkenau was the extermination camp, established in October of 1941, and was used in the mass murder of the prisoners of Auschwitz. Monowitz was known as the industrial camp and housed 11,000 workers. There were large chemical plants and also many large mines that the prisoners would be stationed at in Monowitz. The official death total in Auschwitz was calculated at about 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, but this also includes Catholic Poles and Russian POW's. When Russian troops were advancing in late January of 1945, the Nazi soldiers ordered tens of thousands of prisoners on a death march, where they eventually would be freighted to concentration camps in Germany. On January 27, 1945, Russians forces finally took control of the camp and liberated up to 7,000 prisoners. Auschwitz is a prime example of the destructive power the Nazi forces had during World War 2 and the amount of hatred that must have existed against the Jews and other prisoners. I'm surprised so many Nazi soldiers were able to live with themselves all the while knowing they were killing millions of helpless people.