Birkenau (Auschwitz II) Poland

Birkenau entrance and railway

 Birkenau is also known as Auschwitz II and is close to Auschwitz I.

Birkenau was established in October 1941 to ease overcrowding at Auschwitz I and became the main site for the mass murder of Jews and other victims of the Holocaust.

Solitary Rail car where prisoners were selected

Toilets

Barracks

Birkenau was designed to systematically exterminate prisoners using gas chambers and crematoria. Zyklon B gas was used to kill large numbers of people, and the camp operated as a factory of death until November 19442. Approximately 1.1 million people were murdered at Birkenau, including Jews, Poles, Romani, and Soviet POWs.

Destroyed Gas chamber

Ruins

Part of the fencing

A view of the massive size of the death camp.

In a distant corner, Jews waited to enter an undressing room before being murdered by gas.

The camp was liberated by Soviet forces in January 1945, revealing the horrors and atrocities committed there. Today, Birkenau is part of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, preserving the memory of the victims and educating visitors about the Holocaust.

Resources

LINK TO -->> THE NAZI TRAIL OF TERROR

Books

Auschwitz by Laurence Rees (2005) - This book provides new insights from inter-views with Auschwitz survivors and Nazi perpetrators.

The Imperative to Witness: Memoirs by Survivors of Auschwitz - A collection of memoirs written by survivors about their time in the Auschwitz complex.

Auschwitz and After by Charlotte Delbo - A powerful account of the author's experi-ences in Auschwitz and her life after liberation.

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl - A profound exploration of the author's experiences in Auschwitz and his psychological insights.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris - A novel based on the true story of a Holocaust survivor who was a tattooist at Auschwitz

Films or Videos

The Grey Zone (2001) - This film portrays the harrowing experiences of Jewish Sonderkommando prisoners in Auschwitz-Birkenau who were forced to aid in the extermination process and eventually led a revolt. 

The Zone of Interest (2024) - A film adaptation of Martin Amis's novel, exploring the everyday lives of the Nazi officers and their families living near Auschwitz-Birkenau.

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Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.

Website: https://www.suttong.com/

Amazon Author: https://author.amazon.com/home

ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoffrey-Sutton-2

Academia Page: https://evangel.academia.edu/GeoffSutton

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