Auschwitz Photos
Shocking Pictures of History

28.02.2023

Sometimes thousands of words can not replace the picture.

After watching these Auschwitz pictures you will truly understand, how important is this place for our history.

Photos below are only a small part of what happened there, but will give you almost full picture of Auschwitz Concentration Camp‘s tragedy that you will see during the Auschwitz Tours.

 

Are you sure you are ready for that?

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Birkenau

Auschwitz photos – a testimony of immense suffering

Watching Auschwitz photos, we often leave our comfort zone.

Why are they so moving?

In the Auschwitz pictures, we can see inhumane conditions of the camp and sad moments from prisoners’ everyday life.

Thanks to those views we can also imagine how big was the scale of their suffering.

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Victims of Auschwitz / source: news.bbc.co.uk

The numbers complete this picture.

There were 1,100,000 human beings killed in Auschwitz between May 1940 and January 1945.

Shocking enough?

Even more, when you realize that the people perished in the Holocaust would amount to much more than the current population of Krakow.

Deadful way to Auschwitz

The first transport to Auschwitz Concentration Camp took place on June 14, 1940.

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Cattle car

Soon, thousands of cattle cars overloaded with people would arrive at the ramp of Auschwitz a year.

Many people did not survive the transport with the horrific conditions kept inside.

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Cattle car on ramp

Where were they from?

The prisoners of Auschwitz were transported from many ghettoes of occupied Europe.

But they were not only Jews

A considerable number of non-Jewish inmates were constituted by the political enemies of the Third Reich. They were also members of resistance movements.

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Woman from transport

Selection ramp in Auschwitz photos

The selection of prisoners was conducted within the three railroad ramps of the camp.

The last one was put inside Auschwitz-Birkenau facility.

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Ramp in Auschwitz II -Birkenau

As seen in the Auschwitz pictures below, the transported ones are carrying heavy bags and suitcases with the possessions of their lifetime.

Why do they have all their properties?

They were usually thinking that they will be transported to another ghetto to live on.

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Transport of people

There are countless people of all ages, nationalities or beliefs.

After unloading from the cattle cars arriving at the ramp they were robbed and first forced to form lines on the basis of their sex.

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Crowd on ramp

Nazi physiologists were classifying people according to their health status and availability for work.

 

There was no mercy.

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Newcomers of Auschwitz

Children and people of poor health were sent to gas chambers.

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Concerned woman

Families were separated and “troublesome” individuals immediately shot.

German soldiers did whatever they wanted.

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Pocket searching

Confisticated goods in Auschwitz pictures

Have you seen such a sad view before?

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Confisitcated shoes

 

The piles of shoes, glasses, toys, false teeth and luggages – all of these remains on display within Auschwitz exhibitions up to this date.

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Confisticated teeth

Anything that was deemed suitable for re-use in the territory of the Third Reich was subject to brutally-carried out confiscation from the inmates of Auschwitz.

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Nazis loading the stolen goods from the trains to the trucks.

It’s hard to accept, right?

Kanada barrack close in Auschwitz photos

Have you heard about Auschwitz’s “Kanada”?

This was the place where the most valuable items from prisoners were stored.

According to the literature by Tadeusz Borowski – it was named after Canada as it was regarded as the richest country in the world at the time.

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Confiscated suitcases

 Things left in “Canada” were destroyed as the Soviets advanced through Europe. The Nazis preferred to burn them than to have them taken by the enemy.

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Confiscated jewellery

Wedding rings were melted back into pure gold. The picture shows U.S. troops as they find these rings.

These pictures show the enormity of the tragedy.

Auschwitz barracks – terrible condidtions shown in pictures

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Fence of the camp

The barracks of Auschwitz II were originally designed to serve as stables for horses.

It wasn’t a problem for the camp authorities.

Aimed to accommodate for 400 prisoners, they were reported to house as many as 2,000 per a barrack at the end of 1944.

In the Auschwitz photos we can see the horrific conditions inside their cramped interiors. The presence of lice and illnesses, hunger and mental breakdowns all around the place.

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Barrack from the insdie

It was the everyday reality of the Auschwitz camp.

You must agree that these are inhumane conditions.

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Crowded barracks

 

As stated by many survivors, there were only one latrine operating per 30,000 prisoners of Auschwitz, with the precisely set time when one was able to use it.

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Latrines

Photos from Auschwitz of deadly gas chambers

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Gas chambers

The set of 5 gas chambers built in Auschwitz-Birkenau was ready for use in 1943.

Mostly placed underground, they were designed to resemble shower rooms.

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Gas chamber’s wall / source: commons.wikimedia.org

What was the whole process like?

Prisoners selected for immediate death went to a special room where they took off their clothes.

Sonderkommando officers locked the heavy door of the chamber each time a group of 800-2,000 individuals filled the place.

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Zyklon B

20 to 30 minutes after Zyklon B cans were dropped inside, gas chambers would be ventilated.

The corpses were dragged out of the chamber after gassing.

But it wasn’t the end.

Final things taken away were the hair, any metal dental elements and jewellery.

Crematories as one of the most fearful view in Auschwitz pictures

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Crematoria / author: www.szymonkaczmarczyk.pl

Sonderkommando transported the bodies from the gas chambers to the 5 crematories of Auschwitz.

A lot, right?

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Bodies of victims

 

What happened next?

The bodies were burnt inside them. 

Some of corpses were being prepared to be disposed of in the fire pits. This happened as the crematoria didn’t have the capacity to deal with all the bodies.

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Burning bodies

Mengele cruel experiments taken in Auschwitz photos

You had to hear about the Mengele.

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Hospital where brutal experiments like sterilization took place

 

“The Angel of Death”, Josef Mengele was the expert of medicine in Auschwitz

He drew the famous line at the height of 150-56 on one of the walls of Auschwitz.

What for?

Being shorter than this made everyone ultimately sentenced to death.

Joseph Mengele had his interest focused on twins. Auschwitz pictures of them are one of the most shocking photos.

Over 3,000 twin children were spared from death at the selection ramp and subject to his inhuman experiments.

What kind of?

Twins were:

  • forced to enter pressure chambers
  • starved
  • frozen to death
  • castrated
  • injected with eye colour-changing agents
  • sewn together to make Siamese twins
  • and operated in many others inhuman ways.

With the help of family, Joseph Mengele fled to Argentina once the war was over. After all the inhuman deeds he made, he peacefully reached the age of 68 in Brazil.

Liberation of the camp in Auschwitz photos

On January 27, 1945, the Soviet forces entered the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

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Auschwitz today / author: www.szymonkaczmarczyk.pl

The 2,819 inmates were left after the Nazi troops abandoned the place.

But the sight that they found was much sadder.

Forces found also 600 bodies of prisoners shot during the escape of the camp staff or deceased because of the barbaric treatment there.

Unfortunatelly prior to the liberation, more than 110,000 prisoners of Auschwitz were forced to be evacuated to the more west-oriented camps.

In what way?

Taking part in “dead marches” during which most of people were shot, marking the trail of blood with their massacred bodies.

Before the Nazis abandoned the camp, they had managed to destroy a lot of records and facilities serving their murderous ideology.

Fortunately, a lot of evidence survived.

The hanging of Rudolph Hoss

This longest-serving commandant of Auschwitz Concentration Camp has been directly involved in each part of Auschwitz’s functioning.

For what was he convicted?

Accused of having caused the death of 3,500,000 people, he “only” admitted to be related to 2,500,000 of such deaths.

He hanged in front of Crematorium I of Auschwitz on April 2, 1947.

Justice will be served.

The impact of Auschwitz on human psyche

There are also many paintings of Auschwitz everyday’s life.

All Auschwitz pictures drew by Auschwitz survivors were smoky and filled with dark, yellow and grey colours.

In many cases confronting with the outcome of human memory of Auschwitz placed on paper exposed them to the real vision of the tragedy that happened there.

We can only guess that it wasn’t easy.

The most popular choices

Not easy to forget Auschwitz photos

Fortunately, there are many photos showing Auschwitz left.

But it’s only a small piece of that huge tragedy for humanity.

And if you would like to see this place by your own – we recommend you to join one of Auschwitz Tours.

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Comments

Taz
5
2018.11.23 05:11
This was amazing and very informative. Thank you.
Karolina
5
2018.11.30 12:11
Thank you Taz, lovely to hear that!
Alfred Okeiukwu
0
2019.08.19 22:08
Really sad, even more so when some folks, regrettably say this never happened.. This is real, harrowing, I pray to save up for a trip to tour Auschwitz.. Would like a simulation of the ordeal the poor, unfortunate Jews of Europe went through... From a ride in the cattle carts, to the welcoming committees of the SS comandants.. dressed in the deaths head regalia, etc just to really really absorb, what these hapless folks, went through... Would pay extra for that.. Hitler, Rudolph Hoss, Himmler, Goering, Goebbels, Borman et al.. Really were monsters.. Weeping right now. ???
Mia
5
2018.11.24 14:11
Cool
Karolina
0
2018.11.30 12:11
:)
Devo
5
2018.12.07 18:12
The Story is exactly like I learned in school.
Ania
0
2018.12.17 14:12
Dear Devo, as horrifying as it is, it's important to teach next generations the history so that humanity does not repeat it's mistakes. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Dr subhajit kar
5
2018.12.12 10:12
A wonderful effort by u.
Ania
0
2018.12.17 14:12
Thank you for appreciating our work and taking the time to comment! It means the world to us.
Kana
5
2018.12.26 10:12
The holocaust is tragic but really interesting. This is amazingly written. It's great to make sure history won't repeat itself again.
Karolina
5
2019.01.22 15:01
Dear Kana, thank you for your comment. Yes, we should all make sure that next generations learn this story... Best regards, Karolina
Mark
0
2019.01.01 23:01
This is a great window into a very tragic event(s) from our past. The right amount of detail for this medium.
Karolina
5
2019.01.22 15:01
Dear Mark, thank you, it's nice to hear that you appreciate our work :) Best regards, Karolina
gary.
0
2019.01.08 17:01
looking at these photos.........all I could do was cry.
Ania
0
2019.01.21 03:01
Dear Gary, thank you for taking the time to comment. We do agree that these horrible crimes are unimaginable - all we can do as humanity is try our best not to repeat mistakes from the past.
james
5
2019.01.15 03:01
I think you did a wonderful job is very informative. Keep up the great work.
Karolina
5
2019.01.22 15:01
Thank you so much James :) Best regards, Karolina
Karola
0
2019.01.16 15:01
These photos were disturbing! Perhaps because I know they are true. My father was there and 2 other camps. He was released. He was not Jewish but was in the Polish army when he was captured. Never again! And yet thousands, perhaps millions, are currently working without pay in America!!
Karolina
5
2019.01.22 15:01
Dear Karola, it really is so sad that we keep shouting "never again!" and this awful treatment of people is still present today in so many parts of the world. We have to do what we can though... Thank you for your comment! Best regards, Karolina
Patience O'Dowd
5
2019.01.16 17:01
Thank you for putting this together. We cannot forget, and we must continue to grow our humanity, all sentient beings deserve freedom to be who they are and humane treatment.
Karolina
5
2019.01.22 15:01
Dear Patience, Thank you for your comment. Yes, I agree with you - and the way we can do that is to keep talking about the difficult past and heartbreaking Auschwitz history. Best regards, Karolina
Terry
5
2019.01.17 00:01
I have never sat down and read about this before. What a shock to find people could be so file and cruel. Thank you for letting me be able to read this. My heart is hurting so much now
Karolina
5
2019.01.22 15:01
Dear Terry, yes, it's so difficult to read and learn about what happened in Auschwitz. I am glad that you found this article helpful. Best regards, Karolina
Anonim
0
2019.01.21 00:01
I read some books and I personally visited Auschwitz. Why you say the same I read in a wall at Auschwitz that 1.100.000 people were killed over there ? According to books and testimonials that I’ve read, it looks to me like we’re killed several million people between 1940 and 1945.
Ania
0
2019.01.21 03:01
Hello, thank you for commenting. The exact number of victims is extremely difficult to establish and there are historians who claim otherwise, nonetheless the official number given by Auschwitz Museum and Memorial itself is 1,100,000 - we've decided to trust this source as it seems the most reliable in this situation.
Marco
0
2019.01.21 22:01
How many people was killed at Auschwitz-Birkenau in total ? considering books that I’ve read, I would say much more than you mention above. Could someone reply to this, please ?
IzaBella Astle
3
2019.01.25 19:01
It is so sad how bad they were treated :( so so sad :(.
big chungus
5
2019.01.28 14:01
AMAZING
Ladonna
5
2019.02.02 02:02
I hope someday to be able to come and take this tour, it is actually a dream of mine, and i am sure a lot of people would think that I am morbid because of that, but i feel that it is such an important time in our history that doesn't need to be forgotten or repeated, and it is important to me to have the privilege of paying respects to those who died there and also to the ones who survived the torture and terror of this place. I am 44 years old and I didn't know a lot about the holocaust until AFTER I was out of high school, and I am not sure if its because the area i am from ( Pikeville KY) felt that it wasn't something important to teach or if its that way in schools all over America but its definitely a subject that needs to be taught especially in today's world where so many things that were once considered taboo or inappropriate or horrific are so easily acceptable nowadays. I worry about the future of today's children and with something so important as the holocaust not being taught i worry how easily it could someday be repeated and that is a thought that terrifies me to my very core, so thank you for this article and for the pictures and though they are sad and heartbreaking and disturbing to look at they are such an important reminder of what hating someone you don't even know just because of their race or religion or whatever the case may be, but this is what that hatred causes.
Karolina
0
2019.02.04 09:02
Thank you so much Ladonna! This is exactly why it's so important to visit Auschwitz and tell this story to future generations - it is too important to be forgotten! Thank you and best regards, Karolina
Tessia
0
2019.02.19 00:02
This is amazingly put together I couldn’t have asked for anything more educating. I am currently in the 9th grade taking a holocaust class. Before I started taking this class I didn’t think much of the holocaust now, it effects my everyday life. We just got done reading “Night” by Elie Wiesel and it is such a amazing inspiring book. This article will help me so much with my upcoming project. This piece of work you created was so well put together! Thank you so much!
Karolina
0
2019.02.19 10:02
Dear Tessia, I am very happy that we could help you. It is a subject that needs to be talked about so it's awesome that you guys are learning about Holocaust. Good luck with your project!
Aaron
5
2019.02.23 01:02
Very good work. Atrocious things humans are capable of and I fear as we move farther away in time the likelihood of repeating them goes up. The section in Auschwitz known as Canada was called that not specifically because Canada was seen as the richest country, but more accurately because Canada was seen as a country of abundance in general.
Karolina
5
2019.02.25 10:02
Thank you for your comment, Aaron! Thank you for clarifying the origins of the name "Canada", it's very helpful for everyone to add more and more information here in the comment section.
Angela
5
2019.02.26 04:02
I feel physically sick after seeing these photos, but I agree that everyone should see them. Especially politicians and world leaders. Never again.
thomas j mcdaries
5
2019.03.01 11:03
When I was 16 I attended Nottingham High School in Syracuse NY in 1961. The school had 1000 Jewish kids and 300 gentiles. I had never heard of the holocaust until an English teacher mentioned it. The first book I remember reading was The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I was truly horrified and remember often crying but could not stop reading about these poor people and man's inhumanity to man. To this day I firmly believe Germany got off way to easy. The entire country should have been bombed into the stone age. The German people were very complicit and new very well what was happening to the Jews. It was no secret. At the end of the war these German monsters freely moved to the U.S., Canada, South America and elsewhere. Well I hope the world never forgets and thank God these depraved freaks never one the war.
Mia
5
2019.03.11 23:03
Very Informative
Savannah Squibb
5
2019.03.27 16:03
So horrific about how they were treated just because of a racist person. Also, how German people just went along with it.
Juris
5
2019.04.01 22:04
Went there a few years ago, i just cant describe the feeling how i felt, sadness, pain, emptyness. Learning at school about it it's a one thing, to go and see whats left of it i think every person should go and pay their respects to people who suffered there. Great article, keep up the good work, and hopefully i will visit the place again.
Rajasekhar
5
2019.04.02 14:04
Looking at these photographs make me really sad and I think as if I was looking through a window into another realm where barbarity is the norm. I feel sorry for all those who went through the unimaginable torture.
Charles
0
2023.01.10 14:01
Seeing as this is still a big link to my family it's nice to hear that what I had been told is validated by other people. I would love to go visit someday and see all the history first hand

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