Figure 1.-- |
|
Auchchwitz was primarily a work camp--the largest one in the NAZI system. Thus children were for the most part not brought there. Auschwitz was not one of the dedicated death camps. The major exception was the Jews murdered at the Birkenau killing operation. Here whole families were delivered in tact. The children who were not capable of working andctheir mothers (to avoid disruptions) were selected out for immediate murder in the gas chambers. There were very few exceptions to this. By late 1944 with the loss of one of the gas chambers and to save gas, the SS began throwing younger children directly into the ovens or burning pits without gassing them first. Healthy adults were selected for work. The work conditions and food for Jews were such that most of those selected only survived a few months. Conditions for some other groups were better, but this varied. Children born in Auschwitz as in most other camps were usually killed immediately after birth. There were, however, a few children and youths found at the camp when the Soviets liberated it. Many of these children were Poles and Ukrannians that the Germans had bought to the camp as a result of the anti-partisan operations in the western Soviet Union and the supression of the Warsaw uprising. What is unknown is why the SS did not shoot these children when they evacuated the Camp. Himmler had ordered when the Soviets pushed into Poland that the no prisoners be allowed to fall into Soviet hands, presumably so no one could testify as to what the Germans had done at Auschwitz.
The NAZIS operated a vast sysytem of camps. Conditions varied widely from camp to camp. Auchwitz was primarily a work camp--the largest one in the NAZI system. It was established as a work camp, but a severe punishment camp where Poles were to be set to work under severe conditions. Children were for the most part not brought to Auschwitz as they were not workers. Auschwitz was not one of the dedicated death camps. Conditions at the camp were horrendous and people died in large numbers from abuse, mal-nutrition, and cold.
The major exception to the operation of Auschwitz as a work camp was the Jews murdered at the Birkenau killing operation. Here the NAZIS perfected their poison gas operations. First they used make-ship gas chambers and eventually large gas chambers designed to kill people in large numbers with attached crematirium to rapidly reduce the dead people to ashes. Whole families were transpoprted to Birkenau. The children who were not capable of working and their mothers (to avoid disruptions) were selected out for immediate murder in the gas chambers. There were very few exceptions to this. Some older children successfully posed a youths capable of work. As the Red Army moved west, the death camps to the east had to be closed and abadoned. This left Birkenau as the principal killing center. By late 1944 with the loss of one of the gas chambers and to save gas, the SS began throwing younger children directly into the ovens or burning pits without gassing them first.
Healthy Jewish adults were selected for work from the incoming trasports. The work conditions and food for Jews were such that most of those selected only survived only a few months. Conditions for some other groups were better, but this varied.
Children born in Auschwitz as in most other camps were usually killed immediately after birth.
Himmler ordered when the Soviets pushed into Poland that the no prisoners in the various camps be allowed to fall into Soviet hands, presumably so no one could testify as to what the Germans had done at Auschwitz and the other camps. Most of the surviving prisoners were evacuated in forced marches weat to the Reich, many dieing on the way. The SS did shot many of those to weak to go on these marches were shot. The Red Army when they liberated the Camp, however, did find survivors, including children. What is unknown is why the SS did not shoot the survivors the Red Army subsequently found. Some of the survivors may have hid from the SS camp guards as they cleared the Camp, it was a very large place. But apparently the SS personnel decided for unknow reasons not to shoot everyone.
There were a few children and youths found at the camp when the Soviets liberated it. Many of these children were Poles and Ukrannians that the Germans had bought to the camp as a result of the anti-partisan operations in the western Soviet Union and the supression of the Warsaw uprising. The Soviets reported finding 416 children (aged 14 and under) and 234 adolescents (aged 15-17) when they reached Auschwitz (January 27, 1945). Very few were Jewish children. I'm not sure at this time just where in Auschwitz these children were found. At least some of them were apparently found at Birkenau. The presence of children can be accounted for by several developments.
The Soviets organized substantial partisan operations behind German lines which were disrupting Wehrmacht supply lines. The Germans responded with an extensive anti-partisan campaign. The Wehrmacht and and SS units slaughtered a huge number of defensless civilians. The actual number is not known. It certainly was in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps in the millions. This was not a campaign against Jews, most of who had already been murdered. As the campaign was conducted in the Western Soviet Union, these people were of varying ethnicity, including Poles, Ukranians, and Belorussians. The operations against villages preceived as aiding the partisans varied. Some times the entire population was murdered. The Germans could and did at times choose to deport, rather than murder, the women and children and sometimes even some of the men as well. The Germans transported these unfortunsate people to camps and other detention facilities in German-occupied Poland, including Auschwitz. These prisoners because ofthe numbers and the deterirating coinditions by 1944 were not registered nor were they issued concentration camp uniforms-—they remained in their civilian clothes which by the time the Red Army arrived were in tatters. Among these deportees were juveniles. [Black]
The Germans pursued similar anti-partisan operations in Poland itself. The Whrmacht and SS conducted actins against Poles who were or were perceived to be assisting or sympathizing with partisans. Again whole villiages were assaulted and many razed to the ground. Often the entire population wass murdered. In some cases an excetion was made for the chidren. This was a decesion made by the individual commanders. The children or any adults spared were sent to the various camps and detention facilities located throughout NAZI occupied Poland, again including Auschwitz. The Home Army rebellion against the Germans in Warsaw (August-October 1944) resultedin the destruction of Warsaw. When the Poles finally surrendered, the Germans agreed to give the Home Army defenders POW status. There was no such protection or civilians. The Germans deported thousands of Polish civilians to Auschwitz, including 314 boys and 312 girls (aged 14 and under). Again, these civilians were not issued concentration camp clothing. [Black]
As part of the massive Auschwitz concentration camp complex there were many sub-camps with a variety of purposes. One of these was the so-called Labor Education Camp. This Camp wasestablished for persons, generally non-Jews (Poles and Germans in this case) who violated labor discipline while working in the civilian sector (commonly but not always as forced laborers), The SS set out to “teach” good labor discipline at this Camp. These prisoners wore civilian clothes. Although they tended to be adults, there were youths here. Some may well have been as young as 10 years of age. [Black]
Both adults and child survivors were found at Auschwitz by the Red Army wearing the remnants of their civilian clothes rather than camp uniforms. The Auschwitz camp authorities did not always have a sufficient supply of striped inmate uniforms for arrivals at the camp. This was especially the case for children who were not susposed to be at the Camp to begin with as they were not potential workers. This is why the children found in camp uniforms or wearing adult-sized clothing. Some of these children were not even formally registered. Others were. Some children—both Jewish or Polish—received tattoos and were registered, but did not get the striped uniform, and continued to wear civilian clothes or had to wear civilian clothes previously worn by persons whom the Germans had already killed.
Black, Peter. Senior Historian. U.S. National Historical Museum. E-mail, May 23, 2008.
Kubica, Helena Kubica. “Children and Adolescents in Auschwitz,” in Auschwitz, 1940-1945: Central Issues in the History of the Camp, Vol. II: The Prisoners—Their Life and Their Work (Oświęcim: Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, 2000), pp. 201-290.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main Auchwitz page]
[Return to Main Concentration camp page]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]