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EXPANSION OF THE CAMP

KL AUSCHWITZ – CONCENTRATION AND EXTERMINATION CAMP

KL AUSCHWITZ – CONCENTRATION AND EXTERMINATION CAMP

EXPANSION OF THE CAMP

In 1941 the SS authorities began expanding the Main Camp and building a new camp on the site of a neighbouring village called Brzezinka (Birkenau in German). First they evicted the inhabitants of several nearby settlements and converted the evacuated area into a ‘zone of interests’, within which the camp had its own arable and animal husbandry farms. In 1942, on the site of the village of Monowice (Monowitz) they founded a third camp, called Buna (or Monowitz), near a chemical factory complex built by the German IG Farbenindustrie concern. In time, Auschwitz became the largest Third Reich concentration camp complex.

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American aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Auschwitz/Oświęcim region. Auschwitz II-Birkenau can be seen in the far left and a little to the right of it, Auschwitz I. Visible in the centre of the photograph is the chemical factory complex (including part of the factory street grid) and near its bottom right corner is Auschwitz III-Monowitz.


American aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Auschwitz/Oświęcim region. Auschwitz II-Birkenau can be seen in the far left and a little to the right of it, Auschwitz I. Visible in the centre of the photograph is the chemical factory complex (including part of the factory street grid) and near its bottom right corner is Auschwitz III-Monowitz.


Source: A-BSMA


American aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Auschwitz/Oświęcim region. Auschwitz II-Birkenau can be seen in the far left and a little to the right of it, Auschwitz I. Visible in the centre of the photograph is the chemical factory complex (including part of the factory street grid) and near its bottom right corner is Auschwitz III-Monowitz.


Source: A-BSMA


American aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Auschwitz/Oświęcim region. Auschwitz II-Birkenau can be seen in the far left and a little to the right of it, Auschwitz I. Visible in the centre of the photograph is the chemical factory complex (including part of the factory street grid) and near its bottom right corner is Auschwitz III-Monowitz.


Source: A-BSMA


American aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Auschwitz/Oświęcim region. Auschwitz II-Birkenau can be seen in the far left and a little to the right of it, Auschwitz I. Visible in the centre of the photograph is the chemical factory complex (including part of the factory street grid) and near its bottom right corner is Auschwitz III-Monowitz.


Source: A-BSMA


American aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Auschwitz/Oświęcim region. Auschwitz II-Birkenau can be seen in the far left and a little to the right of it, Auschwitz I. Visible in the centre of the photograph is the chemical factory complex (including part of the factory street grid) and near its bottom right corner is Auschwitz III-Monowitz.


Source: A-BSMA


On account of the difficulty in managing such a vast complex, in November 1943 Auschwitz was divided into three largely autonomous camps. The first of these, Auschwitz I, included the Main Camp and the SS garrison headquarters, whose commandant and SS garrison commander was ‘senior’ to the commandants of the other camps. Auschwitz I also included the central offices of the political department and prisoner employment department. The second camp, built on the site of the village of Brzezinka, was called Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Here the commandant was also in charge of several sub-camps located next to arable and livestock farms within the camp’s ‘zone of interests’. The commandant of the third camp, located in Monowice and called Auschwitz III, was also in charge of 30 sub-camps set up next to industrial plants and coal mines in Silesia, western Lesser Poland, Zagłębie Dąbrowskie as well as Bohemia and Moravia. The inmates of these sub-camps were forced to do slave labour for German companies.

Altdorf in Stara Wieś near Pszczyna (Nov 1942 – Apr 1943) – forestry work, employer: Oberforstamt Pless (Pszczyna Forestry Office), several dozen prisoners.


Althammer in Stara Kuźnia near Halemba (Nov 1944 – Jan 1945) – construction of thermal power station, 486 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Babitz in Babice near Oświęcim (Mar 1943 – Jan 1945) – work on SS farm, 159 male prisoners (17 Jan 1945) and some 180 female prisoners (summer 1944).


Birkenau in Brzezinka (1943 – Jan 1945) – work on SS farm, 204 male prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Plawy in Pławy near Oświęcim (Dec 1944 – Jan 1945) – work on SS farm, 138 male prisoners (17 Jan 1945) and some 200 female prisoners (Jan 1945).


Harmense in Harmęże near Oświęcim (Dec 1941 – summer 1943) – work on SS farm (breeding poultry, rabbits and fish), some 70 male prisoners.


Harmense in Harmęże near Oświęcim (June 1942 – Jan 1945) – work on SS farm (breeding poultry and rabbits), some 50 female prisoners.


Budy in Budy near Oświęcim (Apr 1942 – Jan 1945 with break in autumn and winter of 1942/43) – work on SS farm, 313 male prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Budy in Budy near Oświęcim (Apr 1942 – spring 1943) – work on SS farms digging drainage ditches as well as clearing and deepening fish ponds, some 400 female prisoners of the penal company (summer 1942).


Budy in Budy near Oświęcim (Apr 1943 – autumn 1944) – work on SS farm, several hundred female prisoners.


Raisko in Rajsko (June 1943 – Jan 1945) – work on SS farm (horticulture, experimental cultivation of kok-saghyz rubber plants), some 300 female prisoners (1944).


Bismarckhütte in Chorzów (Nov 1944 – Jan 1945) – work in the Bismarck steelworks, producing artillery and armoured vehicles, firm: Berghütte-Königs und Bismarckhütte AG, 192 male prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Blechhammer in Sławięcice near Blachownia Śląska (Apr 1944 – Jan 1945) – construction of chemical plants, firm: O/S Hydrierwerke AG, 3,958 male prisoners (17 Jan 1945) and 157 female prisoners (30 Dec 1944).


Bobrek in Bobrek near Oświęcim (May 1944 – Jan 1945, prisoners employed from Dec 1943) – factory work in the production of electrical apparatus for aircraft and submarines, firm: Siemens-Schuckerwerke AG, 213 male prisoners (17 Jan 1945) and 38 female prisoners (30 Dec 1944).


Brünn in Brno (Moravia) (Oct 1943 – Jan 1945) – completion of SS and Police Technical Academy building, employer: SS-WVHA Office C – Bauleitung Brünn, 250 prisoners (Oct 1943), 36 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Charlottegrube in Rydułtowy (Nov 1944 – Jan 1945) – work in Charlotte mine extracting coal and extending the mine, firm: Hermann Göring Werke, 833 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Chełmek in Chełmek (Oct 1942 – Dec 1942) – work for shoe factory deepening and clearing water reservoir, firm: Ota Schlesische Schuh-werke – former Bata company, some 150 prisoners.


Eintrachthütte in Świętochłowice (May 1943 – Jan 1945) – work in Eintracht steelworks in the production of anti-aircraft guns, firm: Berghütte-OSMAG and Ost-Maschinenbau, 1,297 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Freudenthal in Bruntál (Czech Silesia) (Oct 1944 – Jan 1945, later subordinated to Gross-Rosen concentration camp) – firm: Emmerich Machold, 301 female prisoners (30 Dec 1944) work in textile factory.


Fürstengrube in Wesoła near Mysłowice (Nov 1943 – Jan 1945) – work in Fürsten coal mine extracting coal and building new coal mine, firm: Fürstengrube GmbH, 1,283 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Gleiwitz I in Gliwice (Mar 1944 – Jan 1945) repairing rolling stock, firm: Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk, 1,336 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Gleiwitz II in Gliwice (May 1944 – Jan 1945) work in the production of carbon black (women), repair and maintenance of machines as well as expansion of factories (men), firm: Deutsche Gasrusswerke GmbH, 740 male prisoners (17 Jan 1945) and 371 female (30 Dec 1944).


Gleiwitz III in Gliwice (July 1944 – Jan 1945) – work in Glewitzer Hütte renovating the production hall and next in the production of weapons, ammunition and railway wheels, firm: Zieleniewski-Maschinen und Waggonbau GmbH, Krakau, 609 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Gleiwitz IV in Gliwice (June 1944 – Jan 1945) – work on the expansion of barracks and conversion of army vehicles, 444 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Golleschau in Goleszów (July 1942 – Jan 1945) work in an SS cement factory, firm: Ostdeutsche Baustoffwerke GmbH-Goleschauer Portland Zement AG, 1,008 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Günthergrube in Lędziny (Feb 1944 – Jan 1945) – work in Piast mine extracting coal and in the construction of the Günther mine, firm: Fürstlich Plessische Bergwerks AG, 586 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Hindenburg in Zabrze (Aug 1944 – Jan 1945) – work in Donnersmark steelworks in production of weapons and ammunition, firm: Vereinigte Oberschlesische Hüttenwerke AG, 50 male prisoners (17 Jan 1945) and 470 female prisoners (30 Dec 1944).


Hubertshütte in Łagiewniki (Dec 1944 – Jan 1945) – work in Huberts steelworks, firm: Berghütte Königs und Bismarckhütte AG, 202 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Janinagrube in Libiąż (Sep 1943 – Jan 1945) – work in Janina coal mine extracting coal, firm: Fürstengrube GmbH, 853 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Jawischowitz in Jawiszowice (Aug 1942 – Jan 1945) – work in Brzeszcze-Jawischowitz coal mine extracting coal and on surface construction work, firm: Reichswerke Hermann Göring, 1,988 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Kobior in Kobiór (Dec 1942 – Aug 1943) – forestry work, employer: Oberforstamt Pless (Pszczyna Forestry Office), 158 prisoners (25 Apr 1943).


Lagischa in Łagisza (Sep 1943 – Sep 1944) – construction of Walter thermal power station, firm: Energie-Versorgung Oberschlesien AG, some 1,000 prisoners.


Laurahütte in Siemianowice (Apr 1944 – Jan 1945) – work in Laura steelworks producing anti-aircraft guns, firm: Berghütte-Königs und Bismarckhütte, 937 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Lichtewerden in Světlá (Bohemia) (Nov 1944 – Jan 1945, later subordinated to Gross-Rosen concentration camp) – work in a thread factory, firm: G.A. Buhl und Sohn, 300 female prisoners (30 Dec 1944).


Meserzitz in Międzyrzecze (Nov 1942 – Apr 1943) – forestry work, employer: Oberforstamt Pless (Pszczyna Forestry Office), several dozen prisoners.


Monowitz (Buna) in Monowice near Oświęcim (Oct 1942 – Jan 1945; prisoners employed from Apr 1941) – construction of chemical factory complex, firm: IG Farbenindustrie AG, 10,223 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Neu-Dachs in Jaworzno (June 1943 – Jan 1945) – work in Jaworzno bituminous coal mines and construction of Wilhem power station, firm: Energie Versorgung Oberschlesien AG, 3,664 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Neustadt in Prudnik (Sep 1944 – Jan 1945) – work in the weaving hall of a textile factory, firm: Schlesische Feinweberei AG, 399 female prisoners (30 Dec 1944).


Radostowitz in Radostowice near Pszczyna (Dec 1942 – Mar 1943) – with break in 1942/43 winter, forestry work, employer: Oberforstamt Pless (Pszczyna Forestry Office), some 20 prisoners.


Sonderkommando Kattowitz in Katowice (Jan 1944 – Jan 1945) – construction of air raid shelter and barrack for Gestapo, 10 prisoners.


Sośnica near Gliwice (Jul–Aug 1940) – dismantling buildings in former POW camp, some 30 prisoners.


Sosnowitz (I) in Sosnowiec (Aug 1943 – Feb 1944) – renovation of office building, 100 prisoners.


Sosnowitz (II) in Sosnowiec (May 1944 – Jan 1945) – work in steel mill casting anti-aircraft gun barrels and producing artillery shells, firm: Berghütte-Ost-Maschinenbau GmbH, 863 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


SS Sola-Hütte Porombka in Międzybrodzie (Nov 1940 – Jan 1945) – construction and later service in SS holiday home, employment of several dozen male prisoners as construction labourers and several female prisoners as servants.


Trzebinia in Trzebinia (Aug 1944 – Jan 1945) – expansion of refinery, firm: Erdöl Raffinerie GmbH, 641 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).


Tschechowitz (I) – Bombensucherkommando in Czechowice Dziedzice (Aug–Sep 1944) – removing unexploded bombs from the refinery and surrounding areas, firm: Vacuum Oil Company, some 100 prisoners.


Tschechowitz (II) – Vacuum in Czechowice Dziedzice (Sep 1944 – Jan 1945) – removing rubble and repairing refinery, firm: Vacuum Oil Company, 561 prisoners (17 Jan 1945).