22 March 1943 | The Zentralbauleitung of the #Auschwitz camp (Central Construction office) completed the construction of gas chamber and crematorium IV at Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. The undressing rooms, gas chamber and crematorium were located on the ground level. 1/5
The gas chamber space was divided into three smaller rooms and had a total of 236.78 square meters. The exterior walls had holes with gas proof trapdoors for inserting Zyklon B. 2/5
The crematorium was equipped with one eight-oven furnace. According to the calculations made German manufacturer Topf & Soehne, 768 corpses could be burned in this crematorium every 24 hours. 3/5
The building of the crematorium IV was set on fire by the #Sonderkommando prisoners who barricaded themselves there during the revolt on October 7, 1944 and subsequently dismantled by the Germans.
Jozef & Wiktoria Ulma risked their lives to help Jews during the #Holocaust. On 24 March 1944 the German police discovered the Jews in hiding.
The Jewish family was shot, as was the entire Ulma family - parents & 6 children. Wiktoria was 7 months pregnant.
March 24 - the anniversary of the murder of the Ulma family - is today in Poland the National Day of Remembrance of Poles who saved Jews during German occupiation. See this thread to learn about #Righteous linked with #Auschwitz.
#Auschwitz survivors Zofia Kossak-Szczucka and Władysław Bartoszewski were honoured for their work in "Żegota" - the Polish Council to Aid Jews en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BBego…
5 March 1888 | A German Jew, Eugen Salomon, was born in Wörrstadt. His family moved to Mainz, where he became one of the founders and chairman of today’s football club @1FSVMainz05 at the age of only 17.
He was initially a successful textile manufacturer and later worked as a salesman. Throughout his life, he supported Mainz 05 together with a circle of companions through his work and with financial means.
In 1933, Eugen Salomon was forced to leave Mainz and emigrate to France. In 1942 he was deported from Drancy to Auschwitz, where he was murdered on 14 Nov. of that year. Until today Mainz 05 takes a great interest in Eugen Salomon‘s fate.
Witold Zacharewicz and his family were involved in the production of false documents for Jews hiding in Warsaw. The Gestapo managed to discover their activity. He was arrested on 1 October 1942 and deported to Auschwitz the next month.
The mother of Witold Zacharewicz was also deported to #Auschwitz. Wanda Zacharewicz was registered on 27 November 1942 (camp no. 26017). She perished in the camp on 4 January 1943.
12 February 1942 | 48 Poles and 12 Polish Jews deported by Germans from Pawiak prison in Warsaw were registered in Auschwitz. 52 of them perished in the camp. Below we present information about 4 prisoners from this group.
Tadeusz Balcerowski, a locksmith born in Miłosna on 28 September 1916 was registered in Auschwitz as no. 21350. He perished in Auschwitz on 11 March 1943.
Bronisław Galiński, a mason born in Warsaw on 5 May 1905 was registered in Auschwitz as no. 21359. He perished in Auschwitz on 13 April 1942.
25 January 1942 | Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler send an order to concentration camp inspector Richard Glücks that probably had the greatest impact on the entire future of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Learn more in the thread below.
"As it is not to be expected that Russian prisoners of war will be obtained in the near future, I order that from among the Jewish men and women emigrating [sic!] from Germany a large number of them be sent to the camps..."
"...Be prepared, therefore, to transfer 100,000 male Jews & up to 50,000 female Jews to concentration camps in the next 4 weeks. In the coming weeks the concentration camps will be entrusted with great economic orders and tasks. SS-Gruppenführer Pohl will give you the details".