History of Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp

Opened in 1940 following the Nazi annexation of Poland, Auschwitz was originally intended to be a prison for the large number of arrested Poles overwhelming existing local prisons. The first gassings of Soviet and Polish prisoners took place in 1941.

By 1942, Auschwitz had taken on a further role as the main “death camp” in Hitler’s mission to exterminate the Jewish people, known as the “Final Solution” or the Holocaust. Freight trains arrived from across Europe, delivering 1.3 million Jews from across Europe to Auschwitz, and the next door camp Birkenau, which opened in 1941 in order to keep with demand.

Those interned at Auschwitz were subject to the most horrific treatment, including forced labour, starvation, random executions and various forms of torture such as “medical experiments”. Over 1.1 million prisoners died at Auschwitz – meaning around a mere 200,000 survived their time at the camp.

As the Soviets approached the camp in January 1945, SS guards sent 58,000 prisoners that were still alive on ‘death marches’ west. Those too sick to go, or those who fell behind on the marches were shot. The Soviets arrived at Auschwitz on 27 January 1945, where they found 7,000 prisoners still alive.

Auschwitz was made up of three sections. The first and original “Auschwitz I” became the camp’s administrative centre, but also operated as part of the camp and was the original testing venue for gassing prisoners using Zyklon B. “Auschwitz II”, which was actually in the nearby town of Birkenau, became the main prisoner centre and a mass extermination site, while “Auschwitz III” was the main labour camp.

Auschwitz-Birkenau today

Auschwitz Museum is based at the original concentration camp site and offers visitors the chance to pass through the camp’s infamous arches bearing the chilling slogan of “Arbeit macht frei” or “Work will set you free”. Tours are compulsory between April and October if you arrive between 10am and 3pm, and can last several hours. If you’re not on a tour, it’s sensible to get a map and/or guidebook at the entrance – there’s a lot of ground to cover and the layout can be quite confusing.

Auschwitz gets busy, particularly in the summer: book ahead if you’re keen to go. It’s not a site that’s recommended for children under 13: the content is truly horrific in places. Today, Auschwitz is a site of contemplation, reflection and learning – it’s not unusual to feel shaken up after visiting. Treat the site with respect and if you’re taking photos, think about why you’re doing so.

Getting to Auschwitz-Birkenau

Most visitors come to Auschwitz from Krakow: you can get a bus from the MDA Bus Station (behind the Krakow’s main railway station), which will drop you about 10 minutes from the site – it takes between 90 minutes and 2 hours depending on traffic. You can also get the train from Krakow to Oswiecim: from there, it’s a 20-30 minute walk or a 5 minute bus.

There are some direct shuttles from Krakow to Auschwitz but you’ll need to book in advance, particularly in the summer.

It should take just over an hour to drive from Krakow to Auschwitz: there is some parking on site, but it fills up quickly.

Belzec Memorial History

The German Death Camp in Bełżec was a centre of extermination for Jewish people. From March to December 1942 about 450,000 people were murdered here, most of whom were Polish Jews as well as Jewish citizens from Germany, Austria, Czechia and Slovakia.

The date of the first deportations to Bełżec, 17 March 1942, corresponds to the beginning of Operation Reinhardt, whose aim was the extermination of Jews from the General Government and plunder of their property. The camp in Bełżec was the first of the three centres of this kind. It was a place where the Nazis carried out different experiments with the aim of murdering thousands of Jews.

The decision to start Operation Reinhardt, and build the camp at the same time, was most probably taken during the conference of October 13, 1941 in Hitler’s headquarters called Wolf’s Lair near Kętrzyn in East Prussia.Apart from Heinrich Himmler, SS and Police commanding officers in the General Government took part in it. One of them was the commander of SS and Police in the Lublin district Odilo Globocnik, who was to supervise the Bełżec camp.

The death camp in Bełżec was the first place, where stationary gas chambers were used to kill Jewish people. It was managed by the commanding officer supported by the SS crew, which consisted of no more than 37 people.

The camp stopped functioning in December of 1942. The most probable reason was lack of space for more mass graves. The action of burning corpses and covering the tracks of camp’s activity lasted by the spring of 1943. All the buildings and equipment were dismantled by June of 1943. The members of the last Sonderkommando who took part in the liquidation of the camp were taken to the death camp in Sobibor and murdered there.

Belzec Memorial today

It was not until 1961 that the Polish authorities decided to clean up the site of the former death camp and erect a monument to the memory of the victims. This work was completed and the area of remembrance and memorial officially opened on the 1 December 1963. The monument showed two emaciated figures, and a number of concrete plinths that marked the supposed mass graves.

Today, the complex consists of a memorial to the victims of the camp and a museum in which is presented an exhibition about the history of the Belzec death camp.
The museum currently maintains educational and research programmes, entrance to the museum is free, but is closed on notable state and religious holidays.

Getting to Belzec Memorial

Belzec Memorial is located in the most south-eastern corner of Poland, near the Ukrainian border on the road to L’viv, about 30 miles (50 km) south of Zamosc, or 100 miles (160 km) south-east of Lublin.
Unless you’re on an organized tour, it can be difficult to reach this remote corner of Poland without a private vehicle (or taxi).

There is a train station in the village of Belzec however there are not many connections. Bus connections are unlikely to be of much more help either. A small parking fee of 5 zloty is now levied.

History of Dachau Concentration Camp

Founded on 22 March 1933, a mere few weeks after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, Dachau Concentration Camp was seen as an example for the SS as to how to run other such camps throughout Europe. It was initially intended for political prisoners, and did so until roughly 1938, when the camp expanded rapidly in size following Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) and became a camp for prisoners – enemies of the Reich – in all forms.

Overall, Dachau Concentration Camp is believed to have housed over 200,000 prisoners, which included Jews, homosexuals, communists and other groups considered to be inferior or subversive by the National Socialists. These prisoners were kept in dire conditions and subjected to ongoing atrocities including forced labour and medical experimentation. The camp was badly hit by typhus in 1944 and 1945, further weakening the already fragile inmates and killing approximately 15,000. In total, around 41,500 people were murdered at Dachau, many of whom were incinerated in the crematorium in Barrack X.

Following the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944, prisoners from camps on the western edge of Nazi Europe were transported inwards: thousands arrived at Dachau, and unable to keep up with the influx of new bodies, conditions deteriorated extremely quickly. These new, already weakened prisoners further aided the spread of typhus. In late April, up to 7000 prisoners were forced on a death march – excavations later found a mass grave containing over 1000 bodies. The camp was one of the first to be liberated by American forces, who did so on 29 April 1945.

Dachau Concentration Camp today

Today, the site of Dachau Concentration Camp houses a memorial to those who suffered and perished under the Nazis: expect to spend at least half a day here to take everything in and digest it. It’s not really suitable for children or some young teenagers – use your discretion and remember it’s a site of peace and remembrance today.

Visitors can tour the grounds and the remains of the camp, either self-guided, with audio guides (small extra cost) or as part of a 2.5 hour guided tour: these run at 11am and 1pm, with an additional slot at 12:15pm in the summer months.

A short documentary runs in English at 10am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3pm daily, which provides a good overview and uses fascinating and horrifying postliberation footage: you can find this in the camp’s museum.

Look out for the detailed exhibition space on Catholics – and particularly Catholic priests – at Dachau. It’s thought 2/3rds of the prisoners held here were not Jewish, but political or ideological enemies of the Reich.

Getting to Dachau Memorial

Dachau is just outside Munich: allow 40-45 minutes if you’re driving. The best option is to hop onto a train – either the S2 line or one of the Regional Trains (RB) which stop here – you can then either catch Bus 726 to the memorial itself or walk the last 3km. The bus runs every 20 minutes.

History of Mauthausen Concentration Camp

First established in 1938, Mauthausen Concentration Camp was built through the slave labour of prisoners from another such camp, Dachau. Initially Mauthausen was a prison camp, but it became a labour camp in 1939 to deal with the influx of political prisoners.

Over time, it grew to encompass a number of sub-camps, such as Gusen Concentration Camp. The site was chosen because of the quarrying carried out in the area – prisoners were put to work quarrying granite.

Prisoners at Mauthausen Concentration Camp included those labelled as criminals, but were mainly comprised of anyone opposed to the Nazi regime, especially on a political or ideological basis. At a later stage, large numbers of Jews from concentration camps like Auschwitz were also transported there.

Like in all such Nazi camps, prisoners at Mauthausen were subject to numerous ongoing atrocities, such as starvation, torture, overcrowding and slave labour. Inmates at Mauthausen Concentration Camp were quite literally worked to death in the camp’s quarries and munitions factories, while the Nazis reaped the financial benefits of their work. Those who didn’t perish as a result of hard labour were liable to die of disease, malnourishment or to be killed in gas chambers. The camp is notorious for its Todesstiege (stairway of death) leading from the quarry to the camp.

Over 119,000 of the almost 200,000 prisoners at Mauthausen Concentration Camp had died there by the time it was finally liberated by American forces on 5 May 1945.

Mauthausen Concentration Camp today

Today, Mauthausen Concentration Camp is open to the public, who can see the original camp and the terrible conditions to which prisoners were subjected: the former Sick Quarters are perhaps the bleakest and most moving area of the camp – think twice about letting children or young teenagers in here.

There is also a visitor centre and many memorials to the different national, ethnic and religious groups who suffered at Mauthausen. Guided tours happen daily – in English between March and October.

Getting to the Mauthausen Memorial

The town of Linz is about a 25 minute drive from the memorial: there’s parking on site. If you’re coming using public transport, it’s easiest to get bus 360 from Linz to the Mauthausen OÖ Linzer Strasse/Hauptschule stop – the journey takes just under an hour. From there, it’s another 1.5km walk uphill to the memorial itself.

You can also get the train to Mauthausen (change in St Valentin – roughly 30 minutes), and then it’s a 4km walk (roughly an hour) to the camp – all clearly signed.

History of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Sachsenhausen was originally founded as a prototype concentration camp in 1936: despite this being pre-war, it was still built by prisoners. Its prime location near Berlin ensured that Sachsenhausen was an important camp and it served as a template for other concentration camps. Estimates put the number of Sachsenhausen casualties at between 30,000 and 35,000, many of whom were shot, hung or exterminated in a specially built room in its infirmary. Around 200,000 prisoners are thought to have passed through Sachsenhausen in its 9 year life span.

The camp’s primary function was for the imprisonment and execution – or extermination – of Jews and political dissidents, including many Dutch freedom fighters, Russian prisoners of war and even some political leaders from invaded countries. Conditions in this concentration camp, as in others, were terrible, with many prisoners dying of starvation or disease.

Sachsenhausen was infamous for being the site where the Nazis tried and ‘perfected’ their killing technique.

Those who enter Sachsenhausen can still see the chilling words “Arbeit Macht Frei” or “Work will set you free” emblazoned on its iron gates. Much of Sachsenhausen was destroyed during and after its liberation by Soviet and Polish troops on 22 April 1945. Over 10,000 Soviet POWS were executed at Sachsenhausen, adding an extra degree of emotional resonance to the site.

The camp was rebuilt and used by the Soviets as a concentration camp briefly before being turned into barracks and later a memorial and museum.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp today

The reconstructed Sachsenhausen draws many visitors: it’s an easy day trip from Berlin. You’ll gain a detailed insight into life at Sachsenhausen and see, amongst other things, the crematory ovens, the surviving buildings, pictures, documents and scale models of the camp. There’s particular detail on some of the horrifying medical experiments. Look out for the display boards talking about some of Sachsenhausen’s more famous political prisoners.

There’s a lot of material to read and the camp itself is large – expect to spend at least half a day there. Audio guides are available too. The museum aspects are closed on Mondays in the winter, so avoid visiting then.

There’s very little by way of amenities at the camp itself, but plenty of cafes and shops in Orianenburg itself.

Getting to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Sachsenhausen is about 30km out of Berlin – expect the journey to take an hour or so in total. The S1 runs three times an hour from central Berlin stations to Oranienburg (45 minutes) or the regional RE5/RB12 services run from Hauptbahnhof (30 minutes). From Oranienburg station, it’s about a 2km walk to the camp through town.

If you’re driving, head up the A10/A114/L21/L211 – the drive takes just under an hour. On street parking can be found in the streets surrounding Sachsenhausen.

History of Theresienstadt

Theresienstadt was originally a stronghold known as Terezin Fortress built in the eighteenth century to protect Prague from the possibility of invasion by Prussia. It then became a prison in the 1880s before being taken over during the Nazi occupation of the then Czechoslovakia during the Second World War.

Used as a hybrid ghetto-concentration camp, Theresienstadt was not used for extermination in the same way as other camps. It was predominantly used as a holding site for prisoners before further transportations and as a ghetto to house some of the more prominent members of the Jewish community whose disappearance would have been noticed internationally, as well as older Jews who it could not have gone to the so-called ‘labour camps’ or who had a distinguished military service record.

The majority of the 140,000 to 160,000 people interned at Theresienstadt Concentration Camp were of Jewish descent and over 30,000 of the prisoners died at the camp, despite Nazi attempts to portray it as a humane institution. Many others, around 80,000 of Theresienstadt’s inmates, were sent to death camps.

The camp was also used as a façade for Red Cross visits – the sick and elderly were deported, the town perked up, and prisoners encouraged to participate in cultural activities. The camp was liberated by the Red Cross in early May 1945: a typhus epidemic was raging and the camp was placed under a two weeks quarantine in order to prevent the further spread. Compared to other liberated camps and ghettos, Theresienstadt has a significant population of survivors.

Theresienstadt today

Today, Theresienstadt Concentration Camp/Ghetto is open to the public in the form of a museum. The foreboding Lesser Fortress is included in the admission price, and is the site of mass graves, barracks, isolation cells and workshops. The museum includes several well put together exhibitions: the ones focusing on the rich cultural life of Theresienstadt are particularly interesting and make a stark change from the relentless bleakness of other aspects of life in the ghetto and camps.

Getting to Theresienstadt

Often also called Terezin, the site is about an hour north of Prague, just outside the town of Litomerice. It’s a straight forward drive via the E55 and 608. You can also catch the bus from Nadrazi Holesovice station (metro line C) direct to Terezin: they go hourly and take about an hour – it’s the same bus back again.

Treblinka Memorial History

Treblinka Extermination Camp, which operated from July 1942 until October 1943, was one of six mass extermination camps established by the Nazis in Poland.

It was established as a part of Operation Reinhard, the goal of which was to eliminate the Jewish population. It covered an area of 17 hectares and was surrounded by a high barbed wire fence. The camp was operated by a command staff of 30-40 Germans and Austrians who were assisted by around 100-120 guards.

The first transport of prisoners arrived on 23 July 1942, bringing Jews from the Warsaw ghetto. From that day on, Jews were brought here mainly from the occupied Poland, but also Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Yugoslavia, the USSR, as well as Germany and Austria. Romani and Sinti people from Poland and Germany were also brought here.

The prisoners were gassed with exhaust fumes in gas chambers built specifically for that purpose. Around 850,000 people are estimated to have died here. To cover up these war crimes, the bodies were cremated on specially constructed grates.

On 2 August 1943, an armed uprising organised by prisoners broke out in the camp. Out of 840 people, only about 200 managed to escape. After the uprising, the camp was slowly shutting down. In November 1943, the camp’s structures were dismantled. A farmhouse was built for a Ukrainian family; the ground was ploughed and planted with lupine. The buildings were burned down before the approach of the eastern front.

⁠In total, extermination camps like Treblinka would claim the lives of 3 million people. The horrors these people were subjected to must never be forgotten.⁠

Treblinka Memorial today

In 1964 the Museum of Struggle and Martyrdom in Treblinka was established. The monument designed by Adam Haupt, Franciszek Duszenko and Ftanciszek Strynkiewicz consist of three parts: a symbolic gate to the camp, from which a path, at the edge of the forest, leads towards the ramp where the wagons of victims were unloaded, parallel to the path run train tracks laid out with concrete blocks.

Near the ramp, on the right side of the path leading to the gas chambers, stand stones engraved with the names of the countries from which Jews were brought to Treblinka. In the center of the field near the ramp, a monument was erected using granite blocks, whose placement refers to the Wall of Tears in Jerusalem.

Surrounding the monument are 17,000 stones of varying sizes symbolizing matzevot- Jewish headstones and commemorating the 850,000 victims of the Holocaust whose final resting place is Treblinka. 216 of the stones bear the names of the cities and towns from which Jews were transported here.⁠ Beyond the monument, lies the area where bodies were cremated, commemorated with a rectangle of melted black basalt.

Visits to the Museum by children under the age of 14 are not recommended.

Getting to Treblinka Memorial

Treblinka memorial lies deep in dense forest roughly 50 miles north east of Warsaw. Note that the village called Treblinka is still well over two miles (3.5 km) from the actual site of the camp – so don’t go there, make sure you make clear that it’s the memorial you want to see.

If travelling by car from Warsaw, the most obvious route is via the No. 8/E67 trunk road towards Bialystok and then to branch off that route about 10 miles (15 km) past Wyszkow to the right into country road No. 694 leading towards Brok and Malkinia Gorna. Once you have reached Malkinia Gorna, take the 627 southbound straight toward Treblinka Memorial.

A⁠lternatively, you ca take a train from Warsaw Central Train Station to Małkinia. Once there, you will need to take a taxi to the camp, which is less than 10 kilometres away.

The memorial and neighbouring museum is open daily from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.