Although KL Auschwitz prisoners were involved in some of the camp’s work, managerial functions were performed only by specifically designated SS men. How was this exceptionally inhumane Nazi military formation formed and what it meant for the inmates? The SS was a paramilitary unit that at the beginning of its operation was considered very elite,...Read More

The Auschwitz concentration camp was a huge mix of people from different countries. People who fell ill suffered accidents at work or died. In both situations, a doctor should have taken care of them. It was one of the reasons why the camp hospital was set up in KL Auschwitz. The first infirmary was established...Read More

Among the victims of the extermination in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, the Jews suffered the most. From the first days of the war, they were forced into ghettos and treated horribly, and then sent to various concentration camps. What was the life of Jews like in KL Auschwitz? The followers of Judaism were present in...Read More

In the collections of the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, we can admire one of the world’s largest collections of camp art. It was created by prisoners on their initiative, of course illegally, using tools they had stolen in various ways. The prisoners created portraits, self-portraits, greeting cards, or pictures documenting what happened in the camp....Read More

The clergy, like the intelligentsia, were treated very brutally during World War II. Priests and monks were also taken during roundups or arrests. The clergymen were then also brought to Auschwitz as political prisoners. However, the clergy had an additional marking: on the red triangles, a black circle was added or, as some say, a...Read More

The extermination camp prisoners were also greatly used for free labour. Although it was more than backbreaking work beyond strength. To organize this work, the Nazis established commandos id est units to which prisoners were assigned. What exactly did they do? The commando was a group of workers, which could consist of a few or...Read More

Several testimonies remain after the tragic events in Auschwitz. Books based a bit on facts, a bit on fiction of authors, who are often only the grandsons of the survivors, are gaining in popularity. However, one testimony of the camp life was written right after leaving, or rather after escaping from KL Auschwitz. The author...Read More

The Auschwitz concentration camp was an entire camp complex. The main camp was Auschwitz, while Birkenau and Monowitz were to be sub-camps. Eventually, both were converted into concentration camps. Today we take a closer look at Auschwitz III-Monowitz, which was ruled by industry. The construction of the camp started in 1941 on the initiative of...Read More

Soon after the liberation of the KL Auschwitz camp and the complete end of the war, the Polish Ministry of Culture and Art decided to set up a museum on the site of the extermination camp, commemorating the tragic fate of millions of people. Thus, on July 2nd, 1947, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum was...Read More

When we hear about KL Auschwitz-Birkenau, and especially about the officers working there, the image of the „evil guard” comes to mind. One who beats, challenges, humiliates, and does everything to make the prisoners’ lives difficult. Today we want to tell you about one of the first prisoners who worked in one of the most...Read More