The Train to Auschwitz

Photo essay: Largest Nazi death camp near Krakow, Poland

by Jahanshah Javid
08-Sep-2010
 

Auschwitz was a network of concentration and extermination camps built and operated in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. It was the largest of the German concentration camps, consisting of Auschwitz I (the Stammlager or base camp); Auschwitz II-Birkenau (the Vernichtungslager or extermination camp); Auschwitz III-Monowitz, also known as Buna-Monowitz (a labor camp); and 45 satellite camps >>> Wikipedia

>>> Auschwitz photos start here
>>> Photo essay starts here

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more from Jahanshah Javid
 
al-dang

Oh no!

by al-dang on

 

Don't remind them,  they believe in eye for another one's eye.


Onlyiran

Golinedairani

by Onlyiran on

What is wrong with asking that current atrocities also be paid attention to in memory of the victims of the Holocaust?  Why shouldn't we look at the Congo and the six million dead there--and more to come in an ongoing genocide-- while remembering the six million who died in the Holocaust?  Wouldn't that make sense?  Shouldn't the Holocaust be something that we can learn from as opposed to a subject that can only be discussed in an emotional vacuum?

I have never been to Auschwitz, but I have read about the Holocaust and have visited both the Holocaust museum and the B'nai B'rith museum in Washington DC when I took a trip there with a Jewish friend whose family members were Holocaust survivors.  I have also written against Antisemitism on this site:

//iranian.com/main/blog/onlyiran/what-it-all-anti-semitism-iranian-com 

Why can't the Holocaust--which has been widely discussed--- be a vehicle with which other atrocities--which are at the same scale but whose victims do not have a voice--can be discussed?  What's wrong with that?

Also, how can the State of Israel, which was created as a safe haven for Jews after the Holocaust, conduct such unspeakable crimes against a population that it has ghettoized?  Why is asking that question wrong?  If Israelis had really learnt a lesson from the Holocaust, they would be the standard bearers of the Palestinian cause.   

Lastly, here's an interesting related read:

 //www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/09/08/how_anti_semitism_helped_create_israel


Golinedairani

Try being Honest

by Golinedairani on

"چون ايران نباشد تن من مباد"  The comments here go to prove what my friends always tell me your a Jew first Iranian second not because you want to be because the majority will make you be. Most comments are sarcastic, doubting comments about why would there be such a huge section in the library about the holocaust? what money was spent on this? Yes yes its a huge jewish conspiracy...   There are comments about Purim our Iranian Jewish holiday and the description was 75,000 Iranians were killed by the way the death was at the hands of Iranians, we are also Iranian regardless you do not know the story or the historical context.   There are comments about why not discuss the Congo why discuss this holocaust, we didnt discuss it JJ did a pictorial about it, why would we discuss it?  when we know whom our audience is. As an Iranian I will say NA GAZA NA LEBANON JANAM FADAYE IRAN AS an Iranian Jew I will always say Na Gaza Na Lebanon Na Israel Janam fadaye Iran.  However, growing up my neighbors classmates etc never made it easy.. You may not accept us as your own as one can decipher from these comments the "others" tone, we were in Iran longer, and it was not our religous leaders that have destroyed our country, not our religion that is stoning to death women not our religion that pays 1/2 Diyeh for me a Jew as opposed to the muslim in my country... Yet I have nothing against Islam I dont want to convert anyone and I dont care ISA BE DINEH KHOD MOUSA BE DINEH KHOD...  So please enough talking about Palestinians talk about Iranians in Evin talk about Boroujerdi in Qom who is suffering like Mahmoud Abbas said to Mahmoud AhmadiNejad ITS NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS STAY THE HELL OUT OF OUR AFFAIRS!!!    Also ask yourself why is it you don't like Jews you may not be able to admit it, but look what the Arabs have done with Saudi in 1000s of years look what Jews have done with Israel in 60,  Im sorry but dont bring forth any power money excuses...   Zende Bahd Iran va Azadi

AlexInFlorida

Amazing that the Jews who were so mistreated

by AlexInFlorida on

ARE NOW DOING SUCH BRUTAL AND SYSTEMATIICALLY INHUMANE CRIMES TO THE PALESTINIANS, WHO ARE AFTER ALL HUMAN BEINGS TOO.

HOW CAN JEWS BE SO BRUTAL AFTER ALL THIS. MAKES NO SENSE. NO ONE CAN BE SO HEARTLESS.


Hoshang Targol

V P Kh, you're correct, Xenophobia is not limited to Europeans

by Hoshang Targol on

though the term originates from ancient Greece ( historian Xenophon).

If you take a look at the article by Wallerstien he mentions instances in Japan ( against Koreans). Currently in South Africa, of all the places in the world, there have been mobs against  Zimbabwan refugees! And I agree with you on Al Ahamd, in retrorespct he was an idiot, like every one else in his generation highly influenced by that total charlatan Fardid.

P.S. Am I the only one feeling Verytass sounds and smells like a Holocust denier?


Escape

     I found it amazing

by Escape on

     I found it amazing and learned alot from looking at these photo's.I not only learned just how horrible the Holocaust actually was but how informing and mindgriping a Museum can be,what horror and disgrace.


Anonymouse

Remain ignorant! What's one more holocaust denier in the world?

by Anonymouse on

David Cole holocaust

He visited Auschwitz in 1992 and is in good company with Akhmadi!

Criticism of Holocaust denial 

verytass I have no interest in disputing your "videos"!  Videos as facts!  So your "facts" of comments were bologna compared to the "videos"! 

Everything is sacred


verytass

AMAZING VIDEOS THAT WILL ENLIGHTEN YOU

by verytass on

Here is a series of videos produced by a Jewish investigator, David Cole for anyone who wants to be enlightened and have a balanced view. It dispels the notion of extermination camp and gas chambers:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXKHw0EZrqM

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-YsBXEueoU

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP8eB4oPS0o

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQkD7AqLl5c (gas chamber and why it did not happened)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJIwm24kZEk (another contradiction of gas chambers)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctNCdGw2Iio

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctNCdGw2Iio (use of human body as soap another soviet myth and discredited )

These videos only dispel the use of homicidal gas. Again, there is no argument against death of innocent people in huge numbers. However, the use of gas has never been proven. Unfortunately, it was put out there by Soviets, and since it's been in use for so long, no one dares to bring the issue up.

If you have facts that contradicts these videos, please share them. However stop with personal attacks. It only proves to me you have no interest in learning the truth.


Anonymouse

verytass you've contributed 8 News pieces in all about Israel!

by Anonymouse on

In the past 90 weeks that you've been here you've contributed a whopping 9 News pieces, 8 of which are about Israel! 90 weeks and all about Israel!

You're killing yourself with Israeli news and claiming concentration camps were never proven!  Now what's wrong with this picture?!   

Everything is sacred


Anonymouse

verytass write your own blog and let's see what you got

by Anonymouse on

If you want to make a claim and have us look at another view write your own blog with the sources and all and let's see what you got.

Snipets here or there from Ahmadi or claiming Soviet propaganda is meaningless.  The history of what happened in holocaust was not written by Soviet secret police or deniers.

Europe as a whole who went through it and Germans themselves not to mention live testimonials are all there.  Being an annoying person who wants to thumb his nose, like Ahmadi, is no grand invention. 

If you write your own blog I can assure you people will discuss much more than your 2 (worthless) cents here.

Everything is sacred


verytass

MUST WATCH FOR A DIFFERENT VIEW

by verytass on

This is an amazing video that everyone should watch. It contradicts the Soviet initiated propaganda. The video and research is done by a Jewish man, David Cole and I don't believe there is no anti-sematic agenda: 

 

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXKHw0EZrqM

 

Now, this is just another perspective. It's possible David Cole has his facts wrong. But it's important to see other point of views. Again, this does not deny the death of innocent jews, their illegal and immoral encampment. However, it questions the extermination purpose of the camp, it talks about how it was generated by Soviets and that they have never been proven. 

 


Mardom Mazloom

Stalin also sent Jews in concentration camps, that's a Fact

by Mardom Mazloom on

So the question is: "why the soviets, who also hated Jews, would have exaggerated on the number of Jews causalities in Extermination camps in Germany?"

One expects that soviets would have exaggerated on the high number of other unwanted races like gypsies w.r.t Jews.


Anonymouse

Verytass do you have any proof that these were never proven

by Anonymouse on

Verytass do you have any proof that these were never proven to be extermination camps?  You can agree that we can't take your claim as the "proof". 

Everything is sacred


verytass

These were never proven to be extermination camps

by verytass on

This propaganda was spread by Soviets and been around since then. Many jews did sadly died in these camps and there was no reason but their race for that. However, they were not alone. But sadly, this has become the sole claim of jews, with exaggerated numbers. Once you see the real numbers, you see there are more recent event with higher causality that don't get even 1% of the attention. The result of this disproportionate attention, is that we have genocides in Africa that could have been stopped sooner but left ignored, while we cried watching the schindler's list


Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Hoshang

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

Yes the current Xenophobia is a big problem and may lead to bad stuff. However it is not in any way just the West. In fact East has plenty of it. 

One striking example of Iranian Xenophobia is Jalal Al Ahmad. With his Gharbzadegi he frightened Iranians from what he could not understand. 

My point is that these are human problems. Not limited to one group i.e. White Men of the West as some posters here would like us to believe.


persian westender

Auschwitz

by persian westender on


 

For a moment, I tried to put myself in the shoes of those prisoners in Auschwitz who were waiting for their systematic death. I wonder how one can stand such terrible condition. Even self-annihilation for those whom want to be alive by their instincts, would be a bliss. Why? Because going to gas or burning chambers, not only takes your very basic right of living, but it also takes the right to die at the same time. The murderers not only kill you, but you have to die the way they want. The mass murder should be such that it wouldn’t take their times and energy. This is double-murder at once and utmost of humiliation of humanity.

Moreover, the horror and the terror experienced by us watching these photos may reflect two bitter facts in our collective unconsciousness: First, these tragic events with such magnitude goes back to historical era not too far from us. This is almost a contemporary happening. Not back to very old era when historical events “bounded” as fantasy or legend spelling doubt to the truth. Like horrible stories of those who died when “the great wall of China“ was built or atrocities of “Mongol attacks” and such. They are expressed in the literature with much less evidences, comparing to evidences indicated in Auschwitz, because they are history. 

Second, the thrilling fact that it happened in the heart of so called civilization. In Europe. Isn’t it unbelievable? I doubt uncivilized nations could act in such scale if they are up to mass murder. 

 

 


Monda

Thank you HT...

by Monda on

for the Wallerstein article.


Souri

Dear Hoshang

by Souri on

Thank you so much for the reply and the other great infos.

 


Hoshang Targol

As far as the "cause" of WWI, WWII, and bascially all other wars

by Hoshang Targol on

one school of thought has long attributed all such war mongering to what is commonly known as the " Crisis of Capitalism," this is usually precede by a wave of Xenophia, "anti-foriengers" sentiments, and such. Sounds familiar? check out this short article by Immanuel Wallesrtein on the current GLOBAL wave of Xenophobia, hopefully it won't lead to anothe World War.

 //www.zcommunications.org/xenophobia-all-over-the-place-by-immanuel-wallerstein


Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

amirkabir

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

Now blaming all the problems on "white man"? What nonsense. WWII had as much to do with Japanese and other non "white" than anything. War happens because of people not *white* people only. This sort of demonization of one group is the trade of all racists specially the Islamist kinds. 

Just a reminder: Iranians are also considered white. But then Islamists hate Iranians so it makes sense.

In the mind of Islamist: white is evil; only Arab and Arab wannabe is good. We should all dump our heritage and become Arab.


Hoshang Targol

Souri Khanom, these numbers are from different sources,

by Hoshang Targol on

a good one to start would be: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, followed by:  America's Black Holocaust Museum, there are many sites on the Irish Famin. Russian people probably paid the heaviest price in WWII, but everyone seems to forget that now. It's not as fashionable as it used to be! this is all really so depressing


Anonymouse

DK jaan third world countries didn't afford/care separate camps!

by Anonymouse on

Everything is sacred


amirkabear4u

Bijan

by amirkabear4u on

The real reason was white man's stupidity, greed, ignorance and warmongering.

Some people did not like muslems ( sorry jews and some other races ) and decided to solve it in an unconventional way. Believe it or not attitudes were very similar. You only have to read some of the blogs on this site, they are similar to newspaper articles then.

My other assumption is they lost because they did not agree to big brothers.

Finally has man kind learned from history?

NO

 


Bijan Douli

What was the reason for WWll? Now that we know the tragic

by Bijan Douli on

consequence. And what was the real reason that Germany and Japan (who were winning the war) lost the war (besides the A bomb)?

(I'll give a hint: oh, may be not.)


Monda

too much dispute killing the message?

by Monda on

The Horrifying Conditionality of Humanity at its most Systematic, you're right JJ. This is one fine reporting job. Absolutely Tragic!

To some of the posters: Does it feel any more heinous if genocide was committed to Armenians or Iranians? Of course not! Those who want to learn from history with open mind, certainly have all those numbers too.


maziar 58

..targol

by maziar 58 on

that taughts was turned to a nice script " la vita e' bella" and it was a nice comic tragedy that won an oscar nominee.        

I think              Maziar


Azarin Sadegh

Horrific...

by Azarin Sadegh on

Dear Jahanshah,

I went through your pictures yesterday...and it ruined my whole day. I couldn't let go of the image of "Daddy was here" and the single rose...

Sometimes we feel that we know something so well...but in fact we don't. And I think the horror of Holocust is one of them...

On this first day of Rosh Hashanah, I wish and hope that we will always remember...so the history wouldn't repeat itself.

Hapyy Rosh Hashanah to all my dear Jewish friends!

Thanks again! Azarin  


Mardom Mazloom

Darius jan, for whom are you arguing? Cows cannot count!!

by Mardom Mazloom on

Their president deny History and his followers try to minimize Facts!


Darius Kadivar

Nope Zoe ( Ghahremani ) Jaan You were Not Alone ...

by Darius Kadivar on

To feel that Lump early on ...

Iranian Diaspora Intelligentsia Unite Against Islamic Republic's Holocaust Revisionism By DK

Banalization of history By DK 

But I am not Sure I can Vouch for Everyone I'm afraid :

HOLOCAUST A MYTH: Michelle Renouf on Iranian SAHAR TV by DK


Darius Kadivar

FYI/ Difference between Concentration and Extermination Camps

by Darius Kadivar on

The difference between concentration camps and extermination camps (Danish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies)

Concentration camps and extermination camps belonged to two widely different camp systems:

Extermination camps were only constructed with one purpose: to mass murder Jews and other “unwanted”.

Concentration camps, on the other hand, had a number of purposes, among these to work as reformatory facilities, “punishment camps”, POW camps, transit camps, etc. But the concentration camps did not work directly as extermination sites !

concentration camps 

The concentration camps formed an important part of the Nazi regime’s systematic suppression of Jews, gypsies, political dissident, homosexuals and other groups that were viewed as socially and racially “undesirable” in the Nazi state.

The concentration camps were established with different purposes. For instance, there existed “ordinary” concentration camps, forced labour camps, work- and reformatory camps, POW camps and transit camps.

Their common denominator was the fact that the living conditions were extremely horrible and cruel for the inmates. With very insufficient food, the terrible conditions resulted in the deaths of an enormous amount of prisoners, especially in the work camps.

There were at least 22 main camps distributed all over Germany and Europe, more than 1,200 affiliate camps and Aussenkommandos, and tens of thousands of smaller camps. Many hundreds of thousands of non-Jews and tens of thousands of Jews perished in these camps.

Extermination camps

Unlike the concentration camps, six extermination camps were established between 1941 and 1943 with only one purpose: to exterminate the Jews. A total of three million Jews were murdered in these camps.

The extermination camps can be divided into two groups: the “pure” extermination camps and the combined extermination- and concentration camps.

“Pure" extermination camps: Chelmno and the Operation Reinhard camps.

Four camps, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka (the Operation Reinhard camps) and Chelmno were all “pure” extermination facilities. Only a few hundred Jews survived their encounter with these four extermination camps.

Combined camps: Auschwitz-Birkenau and Majdanek

Both of these camps were originally concentration camps. In time, however, they were included in the organised mass murder of the Jews, following the construction of gas chambers. Only one in every fourth of the Jews that arrived in these camps was selected for forced labour – the rest were gassed to death immediately upon arrival.

At least one million Jews were killed in Auschwitz and between 60,000 and 80,000 Jews in Majdanek.