Extermination camp

Extermination camp

Nazi Germany set up special places called extermination camps during World War II in German-occupied Poland. These camps were used to kill many people, mostly Jews, as part of what is known as the Holocaust. The six main extermination camps were Chełmno, Bełżec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Majdanek, and Auschwitz-Birkenau.

These terrible places were kept secret by the Nazis. They used coded words to hide their actions. The goal was to wipe out Jewish people and others, and these camps were a major part of that plan, called the Final Solution to the Jewish question.

Background

See also: Nisko Plan

After Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the Nazi government made a secret plan to harm people with mental or physical disabilities. This plan was called Aktion T4 and was approved by their leader, Hitler.

In 1941, the Nazis began building special camps to harm many people, mainly Jews. These camps used poisonous gas. This was part of their plan to remove Jews from Europe. The first of these camps, Bełżec, started in early 1942. Other camps like Sobibór, Treblinka, Auschwitz, and Majdanek were built later. Many people suffered in these terrible places.

Definition

The Nazis had many different camps during World War II. Some of these were called extermination camps. Their main purpose was to kill large groups of people. There were six main extermination camps: Chełmno, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Majdanek, and Auschwitz (also called Auschwitz-Birkenau).

These camps were built to kill people who were brought there by train. Most people were killed just a few hours after they arrived. The camps were run by a small group of Nazi soldiers and some helpers. Many people were taken from crowded areas to these camps.

History

Main articles: The Final Solution, Nazi ghettos, and Holocaust train

During World War II, many Jewish people were first sent to work camps or crowded into areas called ghettos. In 1942, they were taken to special camps called extermination camps. These camps were hidden from the public and mostly built in places in Poland where many Jewish people lived.

In the early stages, poisonous gases were used to harm people in some camps. Later, special buildings were made to kill large groups of people quickly. Three of these camps—Treblinka, Bełżec, and Sobibor—used gas to kill people. These camps were built to quickly end the lives of many Jewish people who were trapped in ghettos. The bodies were buried but later burned.

The six main extermination camps were Chełmno, Bełżec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Majdanek, and Auschwitz-Birkenau. Unlike Auschwitz and Majdanek, which also had areas where some people were made to work, camps like Chełmno, Bełżec, Sobibor, and Treblinka were made only to end the lives of entire communities of people, mostly Jewish people, soon after they arrived. Victims were told they were at a temporary stop and would soon move to work camps, but this was a lie.

At camps like Bełżec, Sobibor, and Treblinka, people were killed as soon as they arrived in special buildings made for this purpose. Similar killing areas were also built at Auschwitz and Majdanek. In most other camps, people were first chosen to work before being killed later. These camps operated until the end of the war in 1945.

Extermination procedure

During World War II, leaders of Nazi Germany decided that new ways were needed to kill many people quickly. They had already tried using gas from special containers, but this was expensive and hard to transport.

New methods were tested. One method used a poisonous gas called Zyklon B, which was released in special buildings. This gas was used to kill many people in camps across occupied areas. Besides using gas, guards also used other cruel methods to harm prisoners.

Gassings

See also: The Holocaust § Gas chambers, Gas chamber § Nazi Germany, and Criticism of Holocaust denial § Use of gas chambers

Some leaders were sent to see how these killings happened. In one camp, people were brought in trains and told they were going to take showers. Instead, they were led into rooms where the poisonous gas was released. Some people understood what was happening, while others were tricked into believing they were just being cleaned.

Corpse disposal

After the killings, the bodies were removed and burned. At some camps, special buildings were made to burn the bodies quickly. The job of burning the bodies was given to some prisoners, who worked even though they knew they would also be killed later.

Victims

During a difficult time in history, many people sadly lost their lives in six special camps. These camps were all located in what we now call Poland. Many of those affected were families and communities who were unfairly treated.

Dismantling and attempted concealment

The Nazis tried to hide places where many people were harmed during World War II. They wanted to remove all signs that bad things had happened there. They made some groups of people in danger help break down these places. They also destroyed records and dug up old graves.

Because the Soviet army moved quickly during Operation Bagration, they reached a place called Majdanek before it could be broken down. This means Majdanek was found almost exactly as it was when the bad things happened there.

Commemoration

After World War II, the government of the People's Republic of Poland built monuments where the extermination camps were. Today, these places are open for everyone to visit. Auschwitz, near the town of Oświęcim, is one of the most famous.

The March of the Living happens every year in Poland. People from many countries like Estonia, New Zealand, Panama, and Turkey join this event.

The camps and Holocaust denial

See also: Holocaust denial

Some people say the Holocaust did not happen as we know it. They say the camps were just places where people were moved. But this is not true. Evidence shows these camps were used to harm many people.

Learning about these camps is hard because the Nazi regime tried to hide what they did. But we know about the camps from stories of survivors, evidence left behind, photographs, films, and records.

Awareness

In recent years, some young people have not learned much about Auschwitz and other Nazi camps. This shows the importance of remembering these places and sharing this history.