Auschwitz, a concentration camp established in May 1940, initially served as a place of confinement for Polish political prisoners. However, it later became the infamous site for implementing the "final solution" to the Jewish question, starting in 1941.
Between 1942 and 1944, Auschwitz witnessed the arrival of Jews from various occupied European countries, marking the peak of its extermination activities. Tragically, out of the 1.1 million prisoners who perished in Auschwitz, approximately 90% were Jewish.
During the war, approximately 7,000 SS men were stationed at the camp, with around 12% of them later facing accusations of war crimes.
Images:
Belongings confiscated from Auschwitz prisoners, including glasses, hair, teeth, clothing, shoes, shawls, luggage, utensils, razors, and wedding rings.
The walls of the gas chambers.