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The decision to build a concentration camp at Auschwitz was made by the SS in early 1940, and the camp opened in May 1940. Originally it was designed as a punishment camp for about 20,000 inmates - in practice, mainly for Polish resistance fighters. The efficient and mindlessly obedient SS officer Rudolf Hoess (NOT to be confused with Rudolf Hess) was appointed Kommandant.

In 1941 Himmler told Hoess to prepare to turn Auschwitz into the biggest establishment of all time for "destroying humans". Hoess of course did exactly as he was told ...

Another Perspective:Hitler was not the first German to kill people in what they considered to be beneficial extermination. There was a concept of, "life not worthy to be lived", and it governed who could be killed. It started with the truly deformed and disabled from birth; infants who would be a burden to society and who would not be capable of contributions to the world.

In fact, Germany was not the first to propose euthanasia for those who were considered defective.

It was an easy step to destroy older children; after all, once killing infants became routine, how difficult would it be to extend the "mercy killings" beyond the infants?

As their program continued to grow, they added the elderly who were no longer able to work, people who had contracted disease, people with debilitating injury... just about anyone who could no longer contribute.

It was a small step in the minds of Germans to add Jews, Gypsies and Homosexuals to the list.

Remember that it was never a situation where one day, they respected all life, then suddenly they decided to kill 6,000,000 Jews.

The first "mercy killings" were performed in hospitals, by doctors and nurses who believed in what they were doing. As the numbers grew, German officials determined that a more efficient method was needed. Mobile death chambers were built in the back of enclosed trucks, where grandpa or a deformed infant would be wheeled in, the chamber was closed and poison gas was pumped in.

Those methods too were determined to be inefficient, and the larger death camps were built, complete with furnaces for cremating the victims.

Before allowing the murder of innocent people to ever become routine and accepted by society, we must demand that our elected officials oppose death panels in ANY form, even if it is in the form of a nationalized health program, as was the case in Germany. The German death camps, concentration camps or whatever we care to call them, should be a reminder of man's inhumanity to man, and we should remember along with the Jews today who say, "never again".

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Related Questions

Was the Auschwitz camp made by the Nazis?

It was designed by the nazis but it was actully build by the slave workers


Why was Auschwitz divided into three other groups?

Auschwitz was divided into three main camps—Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II (Birkenau), and Auschwitz III (Monowitz)—to serve different purposes. Auschwitz I was primarily a administrative center and a concentration camp for political prisoners, while Auschwitz II (Birkenau) was designed as a large extermination camp to facilitate mass killings. Auschwitz III (Monowitz) functioned as a labor camp, where inmates were forced to work in factories supporting the German war effort. This division allowed the Nazis to efficiently manage the systematic genocide and exploitation of prisoners.


In which two towns did Hitler set up concentration camps designed to systematically destroy Jews and other prisoners?

In Auschwitz and in Dachau


What are the names of the 3 main camps including Auschwitz?

Auschwitz I Stammlager, Auschwitz II Birkenau and Auschwitz III Monowitz


Where was Auschwitz-Birkenau established?

Auschwitz Birkenau was established at Auschwitz but Auschwitz is now called Oświęcim.


Where was the extermination camp Auschwitz?

Auschwitz I- Birkenau


What are the 3 parts of Auschwitz called?

Auschwitz had 3 big 'main' camps. They were called Auschwitz I, Auschwitz Birkenau and Auschwitz Monowitz. Monowitz was really a sub camp which was commonly used and when expanded did become as part of the main camps. Out of the lot, Auschwitz Birkenau was the biggest and most feared of as this part was about Extermination when the Final Solution was putted in place.


How many parts did Auschwitz have?

It had 3 sections. Auschwitz-I, which served as a working camp. Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the death camp. Auschwitz-III, it was used to provide slave labor to the nearby industry.


Was Auschwitz the main camp?

From early 1942 Auschwitz operated as both. The only other camp that served as both a concentration camp and extermination camp was Majdanek.


Who establised Auschwitz?

Auschwitz was established by Heinrich Himmler.


Where was Auschwitz death camp?

Auschwitz is located in Poland.


Who was commandment of Auschwitz?

The Commandant of Auschwitz was Rudolf Hoess.