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Gina Vite
Mr. Hawkins
Modern World History
08 April 2016

Killing Centers
Mass murder in the early 1940s ,was perhaps the most brutal atrocities ever done to
people. During World War II the Nazi Regime, led by Adolf Hitler was causing war across
Europe. Mostly Poland became the location where Jews and others were held captive.
Throughout 1941 to 1945 about 3 million Jews met their faith of death in killing centers, also
known as death camps. Some of the death camps are called Chelmno, Auschwitz-Birkenau,
and Belzec.
The first death camp was in Chelmno it opened on December 1941 in Warthegau its part
of Poland attached to Germany. In that camp there were mainly Jews but also Gypsies. The
police and the SS created this camp to, annihilate the Jewish population of the Warthegau
including the inhabitants of the Lodz ghetto(Evidence #2). This shows, that the German
Nazis wanted them out of their way and by doing that they wanted to destroy the whole Jewish
population. Not only did they take them away but they took them away from their neighborhood
that the Nazis themselves created for called ghettos. They way the German Nazis took the
Jews were by wearing white coats giving the look that they were physicians. Then they'd tell
them that they are getting transported to Germany to work, but before doing that they had to,
bathe and have their clothes disinfected(Evidence #2). After getting undressed they were
send to a van and got killed by carbon monoxide gas. This means, that they were tricked by lies

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and killed like animals. Nazis not caring about the terrible deed that they did not innocent people.
Since many people were dying, graves would get used up quicker the smell of decomposing
bodies was to much to handle they had to think of a way to get rid of it. In the summer of 1942
police order that in the future bodies be burned on open air ovens made of rail track in
the forest camp(Evidence #2). This states, that almost everyday they killed people. The land
that they were at was getting filled with innocent corpses and had to create a new plan. The
people that survived the terrible tortures where to work at the camp, They would often have
responsible such as, digging the graves and burning the previously placed bodies. Also, they
sorted the clothing of the victims and cleaned the vans(Evidence #2). With this being said,
one sees how they were used for labor to dig for their love ones. Being forced to see the lifeless
body of a family member and not being able to do anything about it. Later on around January 17,
1945, the Soviet army approached. This cause the Germans to abandon the area. At least 152,000
people at Chelmno where horribly killed by the SS. Not only did the death camp Chelmno did
barbaric acts but Auschwitz-Birkenau did as well.
One of the largest killing centers was Auschwitz-Birkenau established in 1941 on
October. It was located west of Krakow near the German-Polish border. In that area there were
three Auschwitz. The killing centers was Auschwitz II while the others were concentration
camps. Not only where Jews here but so where Gypsies and families deported from the
Theresienstadt ghetto (Evidence #1). This reflects how not only were Jews a targets for the
Nazi soldiers but Gypsies as well. The reason why, is because, they thought they were not
well ordered to society as they never settled down in one placed, often did not have a
stabled work, and had different dialect(Evidence #1). In the spring of 1943, the Nazi soldiers
had already installed four gas chambers. A million Jews were killed, tens of thousands of

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Gypsies were killed as well. The SS, considered the killing centers top secret(Evidence #1).
The reason this being was because they were obligated to remove all traces of gassing operation.
So they forced the prisoners to do these acts. Another thing why they did this was to not show the
new arrivers what they do. So it can be a surprise to what yet is to come. During the time the
killing center was active many train arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau, almost daily with
transports of Jews from the other camps of Auschwitz (Evidence #1). This shows that the
weak from the other Auschwitz concentration camps were send to this killing center to end it all.
Since the other prisoners were weak and could not do more they were either killed there in the
concentration camp or transported to the death camp. It has been said that around 1.1 million to
1.5 million were killed in gas tanks in Auschwitz-Birkenau. This wasn't the only killing center
that did terrible things but Belzec had a huge major part as well.
The death center Belzec was created in 1941 the Germans established a string of labor
camps along the Bug River. The headquarters of this labor camp was established on the edge of
Belzec. In the camp murder was very well hidden, forty to sixty rail tracks were filled with
around five-hundred Jews. When they arrived to the camp,they were told that before being
assigned to labor duties elsewhere they would be disinfected and showered(Evidence #3).
With this being said they were told to do this so they could later be put in the gas chambers.
Women, men, children were separated when being gassed. Poor children were not allowed to
share their last moments with their parents. Once the gas chambers were filled and the doors
shut, the killing process took up to 30 minutes. The rest of the, Jewish laborers who had been
selected from earlier transports then removed the corpses and dragged them to burial
pits(Evidence#3). When seeing a dead body normally one hopes that they lived a happy life
with peace, but the diseased corpses that the prisoners had move where heart breaking for them

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to see. A spouse, child, parent, could of been a family member that they've been carrying out.
While having to drag bodies they also had to take their clothes off. While, other Jewish
workers removed gold teeth from the bodies(Evidence#3). The prisoners did this or take any
rings or watches. So then they could bribe the the Nazi guards. It has been said that about
600,000 Jews were murdered at Belzec and probably dozen thousands of Gypsy. All in all, there
are other death camps that did the same things and gave the exact pain with it.
Belzec, Auschwitz-Birkenau , and Chelmno all had one thing in common, unforgettable
pain. What was done in these camps will never be erased from history or to the people that was a
part of it. Today, one hopes that history will not be repeated but learned from and is expected to
not repeat it ever again. Innocent people should never be killed for being themselves. By
preventing this to not happen again one should treat each other equal.