Learn about the historical background of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial. This section explores the origins of the camp, its role during World War II, the lives of its prisoners, and how it became a place of memory and reflection. Here you’ll find articles based on facts, testimonies, and archival research.
Is Auschwitz in Poland or Germany?
Where is Auschwitz Located? The question “Is Auschwitz in Poland or Germany?” appears frequently online, often followed by confusion or misleading phrases such as “Polish concentration camps.” The truth is clear: Auschwitz is located in Poland, but during World War…
SS in Auschwitz: Commandants, Guards and Doctors
The SS in Auschwitz were essential to the daily functioning of the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp. As part of the Nazi state apparatus, the SS was responsible for establishing, running and expanding the camp system. Members of the…
Auschwitz escape 1944: Jerzy Bielecki and Cyla Cybulska
Auschwitz escape 1944 — the case of Jerzy Bielecki and Cyla Cybulska — is one of the best documented prisoner escapes from the camp. With help from fellow inmates, Bielecki obtained parts of an SS uniform and a forged pass;…
Vrba–Wetzler and the Auschwitz Protocols: escape, report, impact (1944)
Vrba–Wetzler and the Auschwitz Protocols refers to a landmark 1944 report about Auschwitz-Birkenau, created after the escape of two Slovak Jewish prisoners, Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler. Their testimony, combined later with other accounts, produced a dossier widely circulated among…
Witold Pilecki in Auschwitz: voluntary infiltration, resistance and escape (1940–1943)
Witold Pilecki in Auschwitz: voluntary infiltration, resistance and escape (1940–1943) Witold Pilecki in Auschwitz — a concise, sourced overview of how a Polish resistance officer volunteered to be deported to the camp in 1940, organised an underground network, smuggled intelligence…