Auschwitz Camp

Just a week before Christmas in 2009, a group of bold thieves helped themselves to a rather unusual item: an iron sign hanging over the entrance to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. Police reported the incident and claimed the theft occurred in the early morning hours of December 18th. The sign, which could weigh as much as ninety pounds, was apparently unscrewed at one end and simply pulled down on the other.

The sign was first erected in 1940 after construction on the prison camp was completed. The simple iron “banner” is comprised of an upper and lower border with the words “arbeit macht frei” or, “work sets you free”, running the length. Thieves cut the sign into three individual pieces which were recovered from a forest nearly 200 miles away following a police investigation.

Arrested and charged in the incident three days later were five Polish men described by authorities as “common thieves”. According to an Associated Press article published Dec. 21, 2009, one investigator was quoted as saying, “Robbery and material gain are considered one of the main possible motives, but whether that was done on someone’s order will be determined in the process of the investigation.”

Officials at Auschwitz, which now serves as a museum and memorial to the untold numbers of prisoners killed there, have pledged to increase security measures to protect not only the sign, but also the many other artifacts and buildings the site contains. The sign itself was welded back together and returned to its original place at the camp’s entrance. The museum will receive about $87 million from Germany to help upgrade and maintain Auschwitz and Birkenau, its sister site nearby, but that sum is only about half of what the museum says it needs.

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Born in Poland January 7, 1894, the Conventual Franciscan friar Maximilian Kolbe had already distinguished himself by his unrelenting battle against the world’s evils and his intense devotion to Mary Immaculate when he became an inmate at Auschwitz concentration camp in May 1941.

Fr Maximilian was still a seminary student when he helped found the Militia Immaculatae (Army of Mary), whose mission was to convert sinners and enemies of the Catholic Church through the influence of the Blessed Virgin. In his subsequent career as a friar he founded monastaries in Poland, Japan and India despite worsening health.

Back in Poland at the outbreak of World War II, Maximilian sheltered refugees (including many Jews) at the Niepokalanow friary he had founded in 1927. He was still publishing the widely circulated monthly Knight of the Immaculate when he was arrested in February 1941 after speaking out against the Nazis in his magazine. He was incarcerated at Pawiak prison (Warsaw), then transferred to Auschwitz in May.

Surviving Auschwitz inmates have testified in detail about Fr Maximilian’s selflessness and service to others during his weeks at the death camp before his August execution. With other priests, he was targeted for abuse by the most sadistic guards. His ministering to others—hearing confessions while hospitalized after a near-fatal beating, or celebrating Mass in secret—never wavered. Although survival was precarious and food was always scarce, he held back so others could get food, or shared his ration.

The final episode of Fr. Maximilian’s life exemplified self-sacrifice. When ten prisoners were selected for death by starvation as punishment for the escape of three inmates, the Franciscan persuaded the Nazi officer in charge to allow him to take the place of one doomed man so that the other prisoner might still have hope of seeing his family again. Fr. Maximilian was the last in the punishment cell to die; after supporting his fellow prisoners in prayer and song for two weeks, he was killed by lethal injection on August 14.

He was canonized October 10, 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

Tags: Auschwitz, death, famous prisoners, Maximilian Kolbe, sacrifice
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Of all the death camps, Auschwitz concentration camp is considered the worst and is the most well-known. Already malnourished and ill, Jews were gassed almost daily. Children under fifteen were killed upon arrival. Everyone knew there was only one way out: through the chimney. To escape, one must die.

Auschwitz Daily Life: Morning Hours

Morning was signaled by a series of whistles, and upon wakening, the prisoners had to make their beds, wash up and then get breakfast. The mattresses were straw, and had to be made up perfectly. Anyone who wasn’t able to stand up was taken away. Breakfast consisted of an unsweetened coffee product or tea.

After breakfast, the prisoners had to line up in rows for the morning roll call. After roll call, the prisoners were marched to their work stations.

The Work Day at Auschwitz

Different prisoners had different assignments during the eleven-hour work day. Some prisoners remained in the camp, working as doctors, writing letters or creating items for everyday life as commanded by the overseers. Some prisoners were assigned to private factories, where they did whatever labor was required of them. Factories paid for this privilege and could dispose of the workers as they saw fit. Most prisoners worked outside the camp, constructing buildings, working on the roads, building train tracks or mining coal.

The workers had a half-hour break for lunch. They were given soup or water. The soup had to be eaten there. If it was stored and found later, the prisoners were beaten and the food removed.

After work, the prisoners were kept in order as they were taken back to the concentration camp.

Evening Hours at Auschwitz

Upon return, the prisoners were greeted with the evening roll call. This took substantially longer than the morning roll call, since it was considered a punishment for people who tried to escape or didn’t work as hard as the guards felt they should have.

Dinner was served after roll call. It usually consisted of bread, which was often spoiled. On some days, usually Saturdays, bread and jam went with the bread.

Not ever prisoner was able to partake of every meal. Only those who arrived on time, while food was still available, were able to eat. Even those who had every meal weren’t eating enough food to sustain themselves for the heavy work day.

After dinner, the prisoners returned to their tight quarters.

Tags: Auschwitz, birkenau, dialy life, extermination, holocaust, jews
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