Auschwitz Concentration Camp

Introduction

The Auschwitz concentration camp complex was the largest camp that was established by Nazi Regime. It comprises of three main camps which were set up for the imprisoned prisoners at labor forced. Out of these three camps, one was used for the extended period as a killing center. The locations of the camps were about 37 miles west of Krakow, close to prewar border of German-Polish in Upper Silesia. This was the area that Nazi German captured in 1939 after the invasion and winning Poland. The SS, Schutz-Staffel or elite Gestapo created three main camps close to the Oswiecim that was a Polish City. Auschwitz I (the Stammlager or base camp) in May 1940, whereas, Auschwitz II (the Vernichtungslager or extermination camp) which is also known as Auschwitz-Birkenau in early 1942 and Auschwitz III (Buna-Monowitz a labor camp) which is also known as Auschwitz-Monowitz in October 1942 (Gutman & Gutterman, 2002, Pp. 7).

An estimated ten thousand, mostly young people from around the world, participated in the annual three kilometer 'March of the Living' between the main Auschwitz concentration camp compound to Birkenau's death camp's wooden barracks and gas chambers. It started from the entrance of Auschwitz and passing under the notorious 'Arbeit Mach Frei' sign which was replaced recently after being stolen some months ago. The march, which coincides with Holocaust Memorial Day in Israel, was led by former Israel Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Head of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky, Holocaust survivor Yuliana Ekstein and her granddaughter, tennis star Shahar Pe'er. Many of the participants wore black arm bands or carried black ribbons in memory of the tragic plane crash in Russia last Saturday of Poland's President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria, together with leading Polish military officials and parliamentarians. Ninety-six people were killed while on their way to a Second World War memorial. A message was read out in Polish, English and Hebrew by the Israeli Ambassador to Poland, Zvi Rav-Ner, saying that this year's marchers were also paying homage to the memory of the Polish President Kaczynski and the other victims of the plane crash. Well over one million Jews died in Auschwitz during the war as a result of being sent to gas chambers, disease, forced labor and starvation (Staglich, 2006, Pp. 1).

Discussion

Today Auschwitz concentration camp is the site of a memorial. Auschwitz, the largest concentration and extermination camps, are a symbol of the horrors of the Third Reich. There can be met more than 7,000 half-starved and abused people and the few survivors of Auschwitz. It can be erected on the spot relief camps where the victims can be provided with food and medicines. However, many of them died shortly after their liberation from disease or the effects of malnutrition. The horrific crimes of the Third Reich are one of the darkest chapters in human history. The complex comprised a territory of 40 km2, which also included an extensive off limits. Under the command of the first commandant, Rudolf Hoess, was begun ...