1. In southern Poland there lies a small
industrial town and railroad junction called
Oswiecim.

2. During the Nazi occupation in World War II, a
concentration camp was established just
outside the town.

3. Since then, this little town has been better
known by its German name…

4. Auschwitz

5. Between 1940 and 1945, as many as 3 million
prisoners, mostly Jews and Poles, were
systematically murdered here and at the
neighboring camp at Treblinka.

6. Entrance to Auschwitz

7. “ARBEIT MACHT FREI”
Entrance to Auschwitz

8. “WORK LIBERATES”
Entrance to Auschwitz

9. Reception and Laundry –
here the prisoners’ clothing
was seized and the prisoners
were deloused.

10. Signs
warned
of the
electrified
fence…

11. …but only on the
German side.

12. Guard track

13. These bunks slept
eight prisoners
each.

14. These gallows were
constructed to
execute leaders of a
failed revolt.

15. Grisly medical
experiments were
conducted here.

16. Some prisoners were
shot at this wall…

17. …perhaps 20,000 in all.

18. Bomb Shelter
– for Germans only

19. Crematorium – Prisoners’ Entrance

20. Gas Chamber
Prisoners were told they were to shower, then
were herded naked into these chambers
where they were killed by hydrocyanic gas
produced by Zyklon B crystals.

21. Ovens
The bodies were cremated here. All
clothing and valuables were systematically
disposed of – even the gold fillings in their
teeth were melted down.

22. Arial photograph
taken by Allied
aircraft during
World War II
- did they know?

23. "The same day I saw my first
horror camp, I visited every nook
and cranny...

24. … I felt it my duty to be
in a position from then
on to testify about these
things in case there
ever grew up at home
the belief or assumption
that the stories of Nazi
brutality were just
propaganda."
- General Dwight D. Eisenhower

25. In 1947, British
agents captured
Rudolph Hoess,
camp commandant.

26. He was brought
back to Auschwitz
to face charges.

27. Hoess was found
guilty and hanged
on these gallows
built just for the
occasion.

28. In 1946 the facilities
at this camp were
turned into a Polish
museum of Nazi
atrocities.

29. The remains of
the camp at
Auschwitz are a
UNESCO World
Heritage Site.

30. Much remains to
testify to the
brutality that
occurred within
these walls.

31. But peace has
finally settled on
these empty
streets.

32. Produced by
Paul Fisch

33. Produced by
Paul Fisch
Photographed by
Paul Fisch
on location in Oswiecim, Poland
7 June 1990