When was the Auschwitz concentration camp liberated?
Oświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland province of southern Poland, situated 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Kraków, near the confluence of the Vistula (Wisła) and Soła rivers. The town is commonly known for being the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp (the camp is also known as KL or KZ Auschwitz Birkenau) during World War II when Poland was under the control of Nazi Germany.
The Red Army liberated the town and the camp on 27 January 1945, and they opened two temporary camps for German POWs in the complex of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Auschwitz Soviet camp existed until autumn 1945, and the Birkenau camp lasted until spring 1946. Some 15,000 Germans were interned there. Furthermore, there was a camp of Communist secret police (Urząd Bezpieczeństwa) near the rail station in the complex of former "Gemeinschaftslager". Its prisoners were members of the NSDAP, Hitlerjugend, and BDM, as well as German civilians, the Volksdeutsche, and Upper Silesians who were suspected of being disloyal to Poland.
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22 Comments
Laura Lunardini Wilson
Have been to this camp when we went on a tour to Poland! So well preserved! There was a group of 18 year old Jewish kids from Israel there! Israel sends all 18 years to camps to do research on their family history of the Holocaust! Then when that is completed and go back to Israel gnoses students then go into the army for their 2 year service! To tour those bldgs filled with the victims hair, eye glasses, shoes, suitcases with the families names on them, pots & pans, etc is unbelievable and so so sad! You are looking at what these poor people owned! The Holocaust DID HAPPEN!!
Lynne Cohen
There are no words to describe the feelings I had when I toured the camp, which is really two camps, Auschwitz and Birkenau. It's been "cleaned up" and so the horrors that people endured were sanitized. At the gate, there was a group of Buddhists, chanting a prayer for the dead that made me cry (again.) The question will always be, why weren't the railroad tracks to the camp bombed? The USA knew what was happening. Never again!
slpotash
I lost 1/4 of my family to the nazis, people I never met.Living in the DC area, when the holocaust museum opened, it took me 5 yrs. to go there.
Satish Chandran
they were denied asylum by Britain,Switzerland,Egypt but accepted by Indian Princely State
William Laughlin
Darlene Davidson,
Are you serious? Why would you need a hint if you knew the year? There WAS only one option with 1945, the proper year! SMH!
Fred Keogh
Lynne Cohen, A Jewish representative DID approach the Allies about bombing Auschwitz, on 8th November 1944 a reply was given. The reply, from John J McLoy the Assistant Secretary of War, stated that although an attack had been studied it was not possible to carry out. The first reason was that it was beyond the flight range of any bombers the Allies had at that time. Positive destruction would be necessary with pin point accuracy which could not be guaranteed at that time. At that stage of the war all Allied efforts were concentrated on destroying the industrial capabilities of the enemy.I believe that behind the scenes the Russians had informed the Western Allies that the camp would be liberated soon.
With these considerations the Allies decided an attack was not possible.
lls
slpotash, ...so very sorry for the tragedy that befell your family...it should never, ever have happened to anyone...
Doris Dallaire
It is a horribly sad place to visit. The horrors that took place there and in other concentration camps is mind boggling. That’s what hatred and racism does if it is allowed to continue. Everyone should have to see a concentration camp to realize just what happened there. You can learn about it in books but being there makes it real and unforgettable. People are so cruel to each other!
Richard D. Boyle
Only possible date considering that D Day (the invasion of Normandy) took place on June 6, 1944.
Patty K
Laura Lunardini Wilson, I know it! I do NOT understand how some people today absolutely refuse to believe this!
Camille Curran
Unspeakable horrors were perpetrated against MILLIONS of innocent men, women and children in these evil sites.
Pat Wells
Heartbreaking still. Every year, I took my classes to the Holocaust Museum in downtown Los Angeles. We also read Weisel's "Night," and "The Diary of Anne Frank." Never forget.
Peter de Loriol
my mother was part of the Red Cross delegation that inspected the camp and survivors at the end of the war. Despite being of german heritage, she never forgave the germans for these abysmal crimes.
Howard Groopman
Only one made real sense. I'm not sure I could handle seeing that place. Was hard enough looking at Anne Frank's bedroom.
Jana Thornton
Couldn't visit, too emotional. Not only Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, LGBTQ+, non-Caucasian, mentally and physically disabled, and more...friend's twin cousins were part of Mengele's experiments.
Richard G Schwartz
Terrible Terrible things were done to these people.
mschlesinger
Really? Why wasn't the mention of murdering many thousands of innocents included in the description of Auschwitz.
Robert Snow
The date gave that one away , so much hate and death from that place it will always have a black spot in history 😪
Sandy
Toured when I lived in Poland. Those that claim the Holocaust didn't happen should be made to go there ... maybe they would leave their little idealistic bubble (probably not though, they'd come up with some excuse as to how it was the best for everyone).