Auschwitz

Terry Riversong 2025

Auschwitz 1 was the original concentration camp established by the Nazis in 1940, located near the town of Oświęcim in Poland. Initially intended for political prisoners, it expanded to hold Jews, intellectuals, and others deemed "undesirable" by the Nazi regime. The camp featured barbed wire fences, guard towers, and various barracks. It was known for its harsh conditions, forced labor, and torture.

Auschwitz 1 also served as the administrative center for the entire Auschwitz complex. It housed the infamous "Arbeit macht frei" sign at the entrance, which translates to "Work sets you free" (notice the upside down B). The camp became notorious for its role in the Holocaust, with mass executions and transports to other camps occurring regularly. Today, Auschwitz I stands as a museum and memorial, educating visitors about the atrocities committed there during the Holocaust.

Auschwitz

October 11 - 13, 2022

Camp Orchestra

Block 10 & Block 11

Block 10 was used for inhumane medical expeirments conducted on inmates, particulary by infmous figures like Dr. Mangele.

Block 11 known as the "Death Block" serving as the camp's Gestapo headquarters, it was used for prisoners who violated camp rules or deemed unfit. The block contained punishment cells where prisonrs were subject to severe torture and executions.

In between Block 10 & 11 was the shooting wall where daily executions took place.

Block 10

Block 11

Standing cell

"Cell in which in 1941 prisoners sentenced to death by starvation as a result of collective responsibility for escapies. One of the was Father Maximillian Kolbe, the Polish priest who sacrificed his life to save another prisoner."