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Creation of Auschwitz
The Nazis establish a concentration camp in abandoned Polish army buildings. Later that year, its name is changed to Auschwitz. It serves as the main camp – also known as "Auschwitz I." Arriving prisoners see the infamous phrase "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Shall Set You Free) written on the gate above the entrance. -
Creation of Birkenau
The Nazis build a second camp three kilometres away from Oswiecim in the village of Brzezinka. This becomes known as the Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp (Birkenau). By 1944, it held more than 90,000 prisoners. The majority of the mass exterminations at Auschwitz take place here. -
Jews begin to arrive at Auschwitz
The first prisoners at Auschwitz are largely Poles – people the Third Reich rounds up for being dangerous or subversive. Its early residents are academics, political leaders, scientists and cultural leaders. But in early 1942, Auschwitz assumes a new role. Jews begin to be sent here by the thousands. -
Auschwitz becomes center of "Final Solution" plan
Auschwitz becomes the centre of the Nazi's "Final Solution" – the extermination of all Jews living in the parts of Europe occupied by the Third Reich. Jews arriving in packed railcars are selected right at the arrival platform by SS doctors as being "fit" or "unfit" for labour. -
Crematorium buildings are buile
Four large crematorium buildings are built to carry out mass gassings. Gas chambers remain in operation until November 1944. At their peak, the crematoria could burn 20,000 bodies a day. The highest single day toll was 24,000. -
Expansion of Auschwitz
The Auschwitz death camp expands further with the construction of 40 "sub-camps" that use slave labor at various industrial plants and farms around Auschwitz. The largest of these camps, "Buna," has 10,000 prisoners. -
Prisoners try to rebel
Hundreds of prisoners assigned to one of the crematoria at Auschwitz-Birkenau rebel, killing three guards and blowing up the crematorium and one of the gas chambers. The uprising fails and the prisoners are executed -
Soviet Army Closes In
The Soviet Red Army is closing in on Auschwitz. The SS begins destroying documents, demolishing buildings and planning for the evacuation of Auschwitz – all to try to eliminate evidence of war crimes. -
"Death March" Auschwitz evacuation
More than 50,000 prisoners are forced to evacuate Auschwitz and head west into Germany. Many thousands die from starvation or hypothermia in the subsequent "Death March" to other camps. Many others are executed when they fail to keep up. Most of the survivors end up in other concentration camps like Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald and Dachau. -
Liberation of Auschwitz
First Soviet soldiers enter Auschwitz and liberate the 7,000 remaining prisoners. At least one million Jews were murdered at Auschwitz, along with 75,000 Poles, 20,000 Roma, 10,000 Russian POWs and tens of thousands of homosexuals and others. But these are only estimates. No firm counts were taken of the countless numbers who were sent straight to the gas chambers on arrival.
