Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration and extermination camp built by the Nazis during World War II, became the world known symbol of the Holocaust and Nazi crime.
Here, between 1940-45 about 1,3 million innocent people, the victims of Nazi genocide, were killed.
Before World War II Poland was home to the largest Jewish community in Europe. Among 6 millions Jews killed during the war, almost 3,5 millions were Polish citizens. It became one of the reasons why the largest extermination camps were built by the Nazis in the Polish land. It is estimated that about 1,5 million people were killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau camp , mainly Jews, but also Russians, Poles, Gypsies and others.
Our guided tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum consists of two parts. First we visit the area of the former concentration and extermination camp in Auschwitz (Auschiwtz I) that started operating in June 1940. Here we look at the exhibition about the extermination, the prisoners’ life and the evidence of crime shown in the brick blocks where the prisoners were kept. We also see the gas chamber and the crematorium, the only one that was not destroyed by the Nazis.
After short break (15 min) we go to Birkenau (Auschwitz II), the largest Nazi extermination camp. Here we see the Gate of Death, unloading ramp, the wooden barracks and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial.