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AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU |
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Aushwitz was made in 1940 in a town called Brzezinka. Auschwitz got its name from the nearby town Oswiecim. Auschwitz was built here because of the mass railroad systems. The railroad system was as big as two whole New York Penn stations. It was also the railroad junction for all of Europe. In 1942 Auschwitz could hold up to 20 thousand inmates. Auschwitz was built as a work camp for Jews, Poles and soviet war prisoners. The work that the prisoners would do would be construction, or farm labor. On the gate when entering Auschwitz the letters ARBEIT Macht Frei means work ( shall ) make ( you ) free or work liberates. After a days work the prisoners would march through the gate to the music of an orchestra. The prisoners lived in a barracks they where fed very little most often they starved to death. Block 11 was used for punishment it was so small that prisoners could not even sit. It was the first place to use the dangerous zyklon-b gas to kill 850 prisoners. |
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Auschwitz II or Birkenau was basically a death camp over 1 million people died in Auschwitz II. It was about 3km away from Auschwitz I in Brzezinka. Auschwitz II had about 2.5km by 2km large it was surrounded by barbed electrified wire that some prisoners committed suicide on. Auschwitz II held up to 100 thousand prisoners. It also had four crematoriums two had underground undressing rooms. Prisoners came by railway sometimes whole transports were sent to there deaths. When prisoners arrived they would be split into two groups some to go do work for the camps and some would be sent to death. That is how the death camps worked. |
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Sources: AuschwitzII-Birkenau http://www.scrapbookpages.com/poland/Birkenau/Birkenau01.html 3-18-05 Auschwitz concentration camp http://www.answers.com/topic/auschwitz-concentration-camp 3-18-05 Gates to Hell http://auschwitz.dk/Auschwitz.htm 3-15-05 Auschwitz & Birkenau homesite http://home4.swipnet.se/~w-49276/docs/ 3-8-05 Auschwitz concentration camp http://www.luketravels.com/auschwitz/facts.htm
Auschwitz-Birkenau http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/auschbirk.html
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Ethan Flagler 7th Social Studies Rossville Jr. High Holocaust Project |
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