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Auschwitz Timeline

By Emma Rowdon
  • Auschwitz converted to a POW camp.

    Auschwitz converted to a POW camp.

    Auschwitz is converted from an army barracks to a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp in Poland by the Schutzstaffel (SS), known as Auschwitz I.
  • Crematorium Construction

    Crematorium Construction

    Initially built for prisoners that had died or were executed, were eventually used for mass murder of inmates.
  • The first gassings

    The first gassings

    The first gassings of Soviet in Polish prisoners took place in block eleven of Auschwitz I.
  • Construction of Auschwitz II

    Construction of Auschwitz II

    Construction of Auschwitz II started in September 1941, allowing freight trains to deliver Jews from all over German occupied Europe.
  • Death Wall

    Death Wall

    The courtyard between blocks 10 and 11 served as an execution area.
  • Auschwitz III

    Auschwitz III

    Auschwitz III was built as a forced labor camp in 1942 and was known for the process of synthetic rubber.
  • Gypsy family camp

    Gypsy family camp

    There was a small number of Romani prisoners prior to 1943, but the creation of the "Gypsy Family camp" allowed Gypsy families to stay together in Auschwitz II.
  • Red Army approaches Auschwitz.

    Red Army approaches Auschwitz.

    January 1945 the Soviet Army approached Auschwitz, but the SS sent most of the camps population west on a death march.to camps in Austria and Germany.