In southern Poland there lies a small

industrial town and railroad junction called

Oswiecim.

During the Nazi occupation in World War II, a

concentration camp was established just

outside the town.

Since then, this little town has been better

known by its German name…

Auschwitz

Between 1940 and 1945, as many as 3 million

prisoners, mostly Jews and Poles, were

systematically murdered here and at the

neighboring camp at Treblinka.

Entrance to Auschwitz

“ARBEIT MACHT FREI”

Entrance to Auschwitz

“WORK LIBERATES”

Entrance to Auschwitz

Reception and Laundry –

here the prisoners’ clothing

was seized and the prisoners

were deloused.

Signs

warned

of the

electrified

fence…

…but only on the

German side.

Guard track

These bunks slept

eight prisoners

each.

These gallows were

constructed to

execute leaders of a

failed revolt.

Grisly medical

experiments were

conducted here.

Some prisoners were

shot at this wall…

…perhaps 20,000 in all.

Bomb Shelter

– for Germans only

Crematorium – Prisoners’ Entrance

Gas Chamber

Prisoners were told they were to shower, then

were herded naked into these chambers

where they were killed by hydrocyanic gas

produced by Zyklon B crystals.

Ovens

The bodies were cremated here. All

clothing and valuables were systematically

disposed of – even the gold fillings in their

teeth were melted down.

Arial photograph

taken by Allied

aircraft during

World War II

- did they know?

"The same day I saw my first

horror camp, I visited every nook

and cranny...

… I felt it my duty to be

in a position from then

on to testify about these

things in case there

ever grew up at home

the belief or assumption

that the stories of Nazi

brutality were just

propaganda."

- General Dwight D. Eisenhower

In 1947, British

agents captured

Rudolph Hoess,

camp commandant.

He was brought

back to Auschwitz

to face charges.

Hoess was found

guilty and hanged

on these gallows

built just for the

occasion.

In 1946 the facilities

at this camp were

turned into a Polish

museum of Nazi

atrocities.

The remains of

the camp at

Auschwitz are a

UNESCO World

Heritage Site.

Much remains to

testify to the

brutality that

occurred within

these walls.

But peace has

finally settled on

these empty

streets.

Produced by

Paul Fisch

Produced by

Paul Fisch

Photographed by

Paul Fischon location in Oswiecim, Poland

7 June 1990