Auschwitz/Birkenau Concentration Camp

Let us never forget!

The following images from the Auschwitz and Birkenau Concentration Camp were taken during our Chamber Choir's Tour to Poland and Germany.

If you are interested in learning more about the Holocaust feel free to visit the links provided at the end of this presentation.

Arbeit Macht Frei

"Work Makes Freedom"

In this case however, the only freedom was death.

Birkenau from the railway. Here masses of people were selected for work or for death in the gas chambers.

Cell blocks of Birkenau. Originally built from the plans of horse stables. This room would have slept up to and sometimes over 1000 people.

The latrine hut at Birkenau.

Another block at Birkinau.

Rows of blocks remaining at Birkenau.

The Main Entrance at Birkenau.

A view from the guardtower at Birkenau. In the distance one can see all of the chimneys, each representing one block house.

A view of the selection area and the walk to the Crematoria.

The Main Entrance to Birkenau.

 

Block houses to the left of the tower.

 

 

Block houses in the Auschwitz Camp.

 

A view down through the many block houses in Auschwitz.

 

The Cell in Block 11 where Maximillian Kolbe, a Catholic Priest gave his life by starvation in order to save another prisioner's life.

 

Getting too close to the wires. HALT!

A guard tower at Auschwitz.

A view from the electrified corridor that stands between the camp and freedom.

Bunks at the Auschwitz camp. It was common to stuff eight to ten prisioners in each bunk.

The infamous wall of death in Block 11. At the beginning of the camp's occupation by the Germans, this wall was used as an execution point for political prisioners. It was from Block 11 that prisoners were tried in a five minute hearing. After their fate had been pronounced by the attending SS men, the prisoners were led to a changing room where they removed their clothes. The were then led to this wall and shot in the back of the head with a small calibre hand gun.This wall has been reconstructed using the blocks of ashes from the Auschwitz crematoria. It is a ghastly reminder of what happened in this horrible place.

 

Cans of cyclon B used in the gas chambers of Auschwitz/Birkenau to gas the millions of Jews, and political prisoners from throughout Europe.

The interior of the gas chamber at Auschwitz.

 

The entrance to the gas chamber at Auschwitz.

One of the things that most amazed me on this outing was this scene. Not fifty feet from Block 11 (The Block of Death) stood this swimming pool for the officers of the SS.

The crematoria in Auschwitz.

 

Let us never forget.

 

 

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