Photographs From Auschwitz-Birkenau

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Photographs From Auschwitz

by
Daniel Keren
June 1998

air-shelter.jpg Small air raid shelter for the SS-men, which allowed them to keep watching the inmates.
door-bunker-11.jpg Iron door sealing the underground area of Block 11 in Auschwitz main camp, where the first homicidal gassing in the camp took place.

drainage-birkenau.jpg Drainage ditch around Auschwitz II (Birkenau) camp. Built using slave labor.
hole-roof-1.jpg Most southern Zyklon vent hole in the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau. The gas chamber was dynamited by the fleeing SS, but the location of the hole can still be determined in the roof. The explosion tore a part of the roof material next to the hole (where the rebar is visible). There is no rebar present in the Zyklon vent hole itself.

hole-roof-2.jpg Probable location of the second (from the south) Zyklon vent hole in the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau. The roof was seriously damaged when the fleeing SS dynamited the chamber, but some straight cuts can be seen, as well as rebar bent into the chamber.
inside-chamber-1.jpg Photograph taken inside the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau.

krema-3-chamber.jpg Current condition of the gas chamber in Krema III, Birkenau. The roof is collapsed and covered with rubble.
krema-5-explosive.jpg The location of one of the explosive charges used by the fleeing SS, when they dynamited Krema V in Birkenau.

krema-5-slab.jpg A slab near Krema V in Birkenau (taken after rainfall, so there is water on it). Possibly, one of the slabs over which the bones of the victims were crushed after they were burned in the open (see burning-pit.jpg).
roof-chamber-1.jpg General view of the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau.

roof-chamber-2.jpg General view of the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau.
roof-chamber-3.jpg General view of the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau.

roof-krema-1.jpg Current condition of the roof of Krema I in Auschwitz main camp. The four openings, with covers, are reconstruction of the Zyklon vents, which were sealed in 1944, when the chamber was used as an air raid shelter; one of the vents was left untouched (see zyklon-vent-sealed.jpg in this page). The two smallish brick chimneys are protections for air vents. The two larger chimneys to the right of the photograph are the ventilation shafts for the furnace room.
SB.jpg Document listing the strength of the women's camp in Auschwitz II (Birkenau). On October 7 1944, 8 women entered the camp, and 2,394 "left" it: 7 are listed as "died natural death", 8 as "dismissed", 1,150 as "transferred", and 1,229 as "S.B." The latter stands for "sonderbehandlung", or "special treatment", a common codeword for execution; see, for instance
Memorandum of Gestapo Headquarters, 15 June 1944 [Trials of War Criminals Before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals - Washington, U.S Govt. Print. Off., 1949-1953, Vol. IV, p. 1166]
In amending my directive of June 20 1944, I request that those people subject to special treatment be sent to a crematorium to be cremated if possible.

stoker-number.jpg In October 7, 1944, the strength of the sonderkommando (referred to as "heizer" = stoker/burner, in the official SS documents), was:
Krema II: day shift 84, night shift 85.
Krema III: day shift 84, night shift 85.
Krema IV: day shift 84, night shift 85.
Krema V: day shift 72, night shift 84.
That is, 663 altogether. APMO, D-AuII-3a/1, Inventory No. 29723. See Czech, "Auschwitz Chronicle 1939-1945". p. 724. See also Document on display in the "Jewish Martyrdom" exhibit in Auschwitz Main Camp, listing 661 stokers in October 3, 1944.

support-pillar.jpg Supporting pillar for the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau (the gas chamber was dynamited by the fleeing SS).

undressing-room.jpg Current condition of the undressing room in Krema II, Birkenau, dynamited by the fleeing SS. The victims entered through the stairway, undressed in this large room, and were led into the gas chamber.
vent-sealed-1.jpg Sealed circular ventilation vent in gas chamber, Krema I in Auschwitz.

vent-sealed-2.jpg Sealed circular ventilation vent in gas chamber, Krema I in Auschwitz.
zyklon-vent-sealed.jpg Sealed square Zyklon insertion vent in gas chamber, Krema I in Auschwitz.

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air-shelter.jpg	Small air raid shelter for the SS-men, which allowed them to keep watching the inmates.	door-bunker-11.jpg	Iron door sealing the underground area of Block 11 in Auschwitz main camp, where the first homicidal gassing in the camp took place.
drainage-birkenau.jpg	Drainage ditch around Auschwitz II (Birkenau) camp. Built using slave labor.	hole-roof-1.jpg	Most southern Zyklon vent hole in the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau. The gas chamber was dynamited by the fleeing SS, but the location of the hole can still be determined in the roof. The explosion tore a part of the roof material next to the hole (where the rebar is visible). There is no rebar present in the Zyklon vent hole itself.
hole-roof-2.jpg	Probable location of the second (from the south) Zyklon vent hole in the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau. The roof was seriously damaged when the fleeing SS dynamited the chamber, but some straight cuts can be seen, as well as rebar bent into the chamber.	inside-chamber-1.jpg	Photograph taken inside the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau.
krema-3-chamber.jpg	Current condition of the gas chamber in Krema III, Birkenau. The roof is collapsed and covered with rubble.	krema-5-explosive.jpg	The location of one of the explosive charges used by the fleeing SS, when they dynamited Krema V in Birkenau.
krema-5-slab.jpg	A slab near Krema V in Birkenau (taken after rainfall, so there is water on it). Possibly, one of the slabs over which the bones of the victims were crushed after they were burned in the open (see burning-pit.jpg).	roof-chamber-1.jpg	General view of the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau.
roof-chamber-2.jpg	General view of the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau.	roof-chamber-3.jpg	General view of the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau.
roof-krema-1.jpg	Current condition of the roof of Krema I in Auschwitz main camp. The four openings, with covers, are reconstruction of the Zyklon vents, which were sealed in 1944, when the chamber was used as an air raid shelter; one of the vents was left untouched (see zyklon-vent-sealed.jpg in this page). The two smallish brick chimneys are protections for air vents. The two larger chimneys to the right of the photograph are the ventilation shafts for the furnace room.	SB.jpg	Document listing the strength of the women's camp in Auschwitz II (Birkenau). On October 7 1944, 8 women entered the camp, and 2,394 "left" it: 7 are listed as "died natural death", 8 as "dismissed", 1,150 as "transferred", and 1,229 as "S.B." The latter stands for "sonderbehandlung", or "special treatment", a common codeword for execution; see, for instance Memorandum of Gestapo Headquarters, 15 June 1944 [Trials of War Criminals Before the Nuernberg Military Tribunals - Washington, U.S Govt. Print. Off., 1949-1953, Vol. IV, p. 1166] In amending my directive of June 20 1944, I request that those people subject to special treatment be sent to a crematorium to be cremated if possible.
stoker-number.jpg	In October 7, 1944, the strength of the sonderkommando (referred to as "heizer" = stoker/burner, in the official SS documents), was: Krema II: day shift 84, night shift 85. Krema III: day shift 84, night shift 85. Krema IV: day shift 84, night shift 85. Krema V: day shift 72, night shift 84. That is, 663 altogether. APMO, D-AuII-3a/1, Inventory No. 29723. See Czech, "Auschwitz Chronicle 1939-1945". p. 724. See also Document on display in the "Jewish Martyrdom" exhibit in Auschwitz Main Camp, listing 661 stokers in October 3, 1944.	support-pillar.jpg	Supporting pillar for the roof of the gas chamber in Krema II, Birkenau (the gas chamber was dynamited by the fleeing SS).
undressing-room.jpg	Current condition of the undressing room in Krema II, Birkenau, dynamited by the fleeing SS. The victims entered through the stairway, undressed in this large room, and were led into the gas chamber.	vent-sealed-1.jpg	Sealed circular ventilation vent in gas chamber, Krema I in Auschwitz.
vent-sealed-2.jpg	Sealed circular ventilation vent in gas chamber, Krema I in Auschwitz.	zyklon-vent-sealed.jpg	Sealed square Zyklon insertion vent in gas chamber, Krema I in Auschwitz.