What was the purpose of each section of Auschwitz?

Answer 1

The initial purpose was to terrorize people who defied the Nazi regime.

________

It was a part of the "Final Solution" to the Jewish "problem". Jews were taken there from all over Europe in crowded cattle trucks. Those who survived the journey were split into two groups, those to be immediately killed and those who could temporarily be useful as slave labor. Most new arrivals were stripped and herded into "shower" buildings where they were sealed in and Zyklon B was dropped in through holes in the roof. This killed them and their bodies were disposed of in purpose built crematoria which sometimes operated day and night.

___

The function of Auschwitz changed ... When it was first established in May 1940 it was primarily intended for Polish intellectuals and members of the Polish resistance. At that stage it was an exceptionally harsh forced labour and punishment camp. Later, some Soviet POWs were sent there, too. Auschwitz expanded to become a vast complex of camps (about 45 sub camps). Auschwitz II (Birkenau) opened in 1942, largely as an extermination camp for Jews.

Additional answer

It's not really true to say that Auschwitz was there to terrorise people, because if so then it would have been important for people to know of its existence and what would happen to you if you defied the Nazis. In fact, the Nazis tried to keep quiet about their concentration camps, because they knew that they might be the subject of war crimes trials.

_____

The additional answer certainly applies to Auschwitz and the other extermination camps and Grade III concentration camps (the harshest category of all). However, the existence of the 'ordinary' concentration camps was well known. In fact, Himmler launched Dachau amid a blaze of publicity at a press conference. The purpose of these early camps was to terrorize opponents. There was a quite well known saying in Nazi Germany: 'Lieber Gott, mach' mich stumm/ Dass ich nicht nach Dachau kumm' (English: 'Dear God, make me mute, so that I won't go to Dachau').

It's a big mistake to think that all concentration camps were alike and served the same purposes.

Please also see the related question below.

Answer 2

The main camp or Stammlager which was also a labor camp, the extermination camp (Birkenau) or Vernichtungslager and the Monowitz, which was a labor camp. Auschwitz as administration, labor and transit camp, Birkenau as an anihilation camp and Monowitz as a labor camp producing synthetic rubber at an I.-G. Farben plant. Auschwitz had 51 satellite camps.

Answer 3

• Auschwitz I was the original camp established in May-June 1940. It housed the central administration of the Auschwitz complex of camps and also political prisoners. It was a very harsh forced labour camp. Experiments in gassing were carried there.
• Auschwitz II (Birkenau) was primarily an extermination camp but also included the women's forced labour camp.
• Auschwitz III (Monowitz) was the 'private entreprise' forced labour camp set up at the expensive of the chemicals conglomerate I-G Farben, but it was guarded and policed by the SS. It made various plastics.
• All the other 45 or so satellite camps were harsh forced labour camps.