The Past and Present of Auschwitz: A Factory of Death

The printed version of Auschwitz is recognized as the largest Nazi forced labor camp, symbolizing violence against humanity and also serving as a symbol of the Holocaust. Seventy years ago, as the German military was collapsing and the Red Army was approaching the camps, Nazi forces evacuated 60,000 prisoners from Auschwitz and forced them to participate in long and exhausting marches, later known as the 'Death March.' A quarter of the prisoners lost their lives during this march. When the Soviet Red Army liberated Auschwitz on January 27, 1945, only those prisoners remained alive who the Nazis deemed too weak to be sent on the 'Death March.' Today, the most significant parts of this camp remain in Poland as a site of a massive crime that left over a million victims. The main gate of Auschwitz. The photo on the right was taken in January 1945 during the liberation of the camp. What remains of Auschwitz today does not differ much from the image captured seventy years ago. The crane seen in the left photo is prepared for carrying equipment for the commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of Auschwitz. In the right photo, dating back to May 1944, Jewish mothers and their children are heading towards the gas chamber. The barracks built next to Auschwitz are seen behind this group of women and children. These barracks were completely destroyed after the war, and today only their brick chimneys remain. The main entrance gate of Auschwitz bears the famous ironic slogan of the Nazis, 'Arbeit macht frei' (Work sets you free) in German. This part of Auschwitz remains unchanged today. In January 2015, tourists pass by Block 15. The Nazis had placed a Christmas tree outside this building. The crematoria of Auschwitz. One of the four furnaces that were used. The SS had destroyed two other furnaces before the arrival of the Soviet Army. One furnace was also destroyed during a prisoner uprising in 1944. The wall of Block 11 is known as the 'Death Wall,' where firing squads executed prisoners. This wall was rebuilt after the war. The left image shows the wall before reconstruction. Block 11 of Auschwitz was the building specifically for torturing prisoners. The main gate of Auschwitz. The photo on the right was taken in January 1945 during the liberation of the camp. What remains of Auschwitz today does not differ much from the image captured seventy years ago. The crane seen in the left photo is prepared for carrying equipment for the commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of Auschwitz. In the right photo, dating back to May 1944, Jewish mothers and their children are heading towards the gas chamber. The barracks built next to Auschwitz are seen behind this group of women and children. These barracks were completely destroyed after the war, and today only their brick chimneys remain. The main entrance gate of Auschwitz bears the famous ironic slogan of the Nazis, 'Arbeit macht frei' (Work sets you free) in German. This part of Auschwitz remains unchanged today. In January 2015, tourists pass by Block 15. The Nazis had placed a Christmas tree outside this building. The crematoria of Auschwitz. One of the four furnaces that were used. The SS had destroyed two other furnaces before the arrival of the Soviet Army. One furnace was also destroyed during a prisoner uprising in 1944. The wall of Block 11 is known as the 'Death Wall,' where firing squads executed prisoners. This wall was rebuilt after the war. The left image shows the wall before reconstruction. Block 11 of Auschwitz was the building specifically for torturing prisoners.