Timeline: The Final Solution

Sep 3, 1941

Zyklon B

Zyklon B is tested on prisoners. This was a vital step in the advancment of gassing. It made it easier and faster for the Germans. This experiment of Zyklon B occured in Auschwitz.

Oct 1, 1941

Majdanek

Majdanek begins construction, and in the entire time the camp is used it is under construction. The camp was built by Soviet war prisoners. A year later the camp would begin the use of Zyklon B. Tens of thousands were killed here.

Dec 8, 1941

First gassings

At Chelmo, one of the first mass killings using gas takes place. It is active until March 1943, and then briefly in June and July of 1944.

Jan 20, 1942

The Wannasse Conference

Held by Reinhard Heydrich in order to find a solution to the Jewish Question. This informed political leaders how the Germans were going to proceed and their plan of action. Beginning of Final Solution.

Period: Jan 20, 1942 to May 7, 1945

The Final Solution

The organized mass killings of millions of Jews and other hated groups of people of the German.

Mar 1, 1942

Auschwitz

This is when Auschwitz II or Auschwitz-Birkenau began to be used. This location was originally planned to hold war prisoners, but was used mainly as a concentration camp, and killing center from here until November 1944.

Mar 17, 1942

Belzec camp

Extermination begins at Belzec.

Jul 22, 1942

Treblinka

Treblinka camp is established.

Apr 7, 1943

Chelmno closed

Operations at Chelmno are stopped and the camp is abandoned. They leave no evidence of the awful crimes committed there.

Jun 1, 1943

Number dead

At this time the Germans have killed 1,340,000 million Jews and an unkonwn amount of Gypsies, etc.

Jul 24, 1944

Majdanek liberated

Majdanek is liberated. The Germans had already evacuated the prisoners farther west (closer to Germany). The camp was not completly destroyed, and journalists were invited to see the remains of the camp, and write about the horrors that occured here.

Oct 7, 1944

Beginning of an end to Auschwitz

Sonderkommandos put all corpses in crematorium, and then blow up crematorium IV. Many of the guards (sonderkommandos) are killed to hide the terrible crimes of the German.

Nov 25, 1944

End of Auschwitz-Birkenau

At Auschwitz-Birkenau the gas chamers and crematoriums are destroyed.

Jan 27, 1945

Evacuation of Auschwitz

As the allies approach Auschwitz, the remaining prisoners are forced to walk towards the interior of the German Reich. These walks are better known as "death marches".