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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
Initially built for prisoners that had died or were executed, were eventually used for mass murder of inmates. -
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 started in September 1941, allowing freight trains to deliver Jews from all over German occupied Europe. -
Death Wall
The courtyard between blocks 10 and 11 served as an execution area. -
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
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.
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.