Ethan Walker
Auschwitz was at the centre of the Nazi campaign to eradicate Europe's Jewish population. Almost one million Jews were murdered at Auschwitz, out of a total of around 1.1 million people who perished during the camp's existence of less than five years. The second most numerous group, some 70,000, were Poles, and the third most numerous, about 21,000, were Roma and Sinti. While it is difficult to ascertain the exact number of Catholics who died at Auschwitz, it is estimated that 32,000 prisoners in the Death Books are listed as Roman Catholics, with the true figure likely being higher.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Jews who died at Auschwitz | 1 million (some sources state 6 million in total during the Holocaust) |
| Number of Catholics who died at Auschwitz | 32,000 (80.4% of non-Jewish deaths) |
| Total number of deaths at Auschwitz | 1.1 million (some sources state 1.3 million) |
| Total number of prisoners at Auschwitz | 400,000 |
| Number of Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz | 200,000 |
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What You'll Learn
Jews comprised the majority of deaths at Auschwitz
The Nazis began to strip Jewish people of their rights and freedoms under the law in 1933. In 1941, they began their campaign of extermination in earnest, speaking about their invasion as a race war against the Jews, the Slavic population, and the Roma. By the end of that year, they had killed 500,000 people, and by 1945, this number had risen to about two million, with 1.3 million of those being Jewish.
Auschwitz had many satellite camps that surrounded the main camp, and by 1944, more railroad tracks led to Auschwitz than to the world's largest railroad station, New York's Penn Station. In total, there were three major camps in Auschwitz, surrounded by subcamps. Auschwitz II (Auschwitz-Birkenau) was the largest Nazi camp created and was specifically used for the extermination of Jewish people, as well as Sinti and Roma peoples.
Of the 1.1 million people who perished at Auschwitz during its less than five years of existence, around one million were Jews. The second most numerous group was Poles, at 70,000, followed by 21,000 Roma and Sinti. About 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war and some 12,000 prisoners of other ethnic backgrounds (including Czechs, Belorussians, Yugoslavians, French, Germans, and Austrians) also died there.
The Nazis used gas chambers, mass shooting operations, and deliberate privation, disease, and brutal treatment to murder Jews at Auschwitz. Jews were forced to strip naked and sent to the showers for "delousing", a euphemism for the gas chambers. Zyklon-B gas pellets were dropped into the sealed chambers, and it took about 20 minutes for those inside to suffocate.
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Catholics were the predominant denomination among non-Jewish victims
The Holocaust saw the state-sponsored genocide of six million Jewish people by Nazi Germany and its allies. Auschwitz was at the centre of this campaign, with almost one million Jews murdered at the camp. However, it is important to note that non-Jewish people were also persecuted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. Among the non-Jewish victims at Auschwitz, Catholics were the predominant denomination.
The Death Books from Auschwitz provide some insight into the religious denominations of the prisoners. While the “religious denomination” field is left blank in some cases, and in others, it reads "denomination unknown", the books do offer a glimpse into the religious makeup of the camp. Of the prisoners listed in the Death Books, almost 32,000 (46.8%) were Roman Catholics. This was the largest group of prisoners by religious denomination, outside of Judaism.
It is important to note that the Death Books are not a complete record of all prisoners at Auschwitz. For example, they omit the first seven months of 1940 and the first half of 1941, when the prisoners were almost exclusively Polish. Therefore, the true figure for Catholics would likely be higher than what is recorded in the Death Books.
Among the 200,000 registered Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz, Judaism was the denomination of the majority. However, it is worth noting that not all Jews identified Judaism as their denomination. Some Jews may have identified with other denominations, such as Catholicism, or none at all.
In addition to Jews and Catholics, other religious groups were also persecuted and murdered at Auschwitz. These included Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Greek Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, and members of the Czech-Moravian church.
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Many Auschwitz victims were unregistered
During its less than five years of existence, it is estimated that around 1.1 million people died at Auschwitz. The vast majority of these victims were Jews, with estimates ranging from 900,000 to one million. The Nazis' campaign to eradicate Europe's Jewish population resulted in the murder of six million Jews, and Auschwitz was at the centre of this genocide.
However, it is important to note that not all victims at Auschwitz were registered. Franciszek Piper, head of the Historical Research Department and author of the book "How Many People Died in Auschwitz," estimates that slightly over 900,000 people were exterminated immediately upon arrival without being registered. Among these unregistered victims were approximately 10,000 Poles, 2,000 Roma, and 3,000 Soviet POWs. The majority of these unregistered non-Jews practised Catholicism.
The Death Books, which record the deaths of those of non-Jewish denominations, mention almost 40,000 people, of whom 80.4% were Catholic. This suggests that a significant number of Catholics perished at Auschwitz, although the true figure is likely higher as it does not include all those who were unregistered or not mentioned in the Death Books.
While the Jews bore the brunt of the atrocities at Auschwitz, it is clear that many unregistered victims, including Catholics, also suffered and lost their lives in this horrific chapter of history. The exact breakdown of religious denominations among the victims is challenging to ascertain due to the nature of the unregistered deaths and the incompleteness of historical records.
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Auschwitz was part of the Nazi campaign to eradicate Europe's Jews
The Auschwitz concentration camp was a key part of the Nazi campaign to eradicate Europe's Jews. Located in southern Poland, the site was originally a Polish army barracks. In September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Poland, and by May 1940, the barracks had been turned into a jail for political prisoners. The Nazis began their campaign of extermination in 1941, during the German invasion of the USSR. They spoke about their invasion as a race war against the Jews, the Slavic population, and the Roma.
Auschwitz was at the centre of this campaign, with almost one million Jews murdered at the camp. Jews from all across Nazi-controlled Europe were sent to Auschwitz, where they were either forced to work or immediately killed. The latter group were sent to gas chambers, where they were told they would be "deloused". Zyklon-B gas pellets were dropped into the chambers, killing those inside within 20 minutes. The bodies were then dragged to incinerators.
The Nazis also targeted Poles, Roma, Slavs, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, and political prisoners for elimination. In total, around 1.1 million people perished at Auschwitz during its less than five years of existence. The vast majority, around 1 million, were Jews. The second most numerous group was the Poles, with around 70,000 deaths, followed by the Roma and Sinti, with about 21,000 deaths.
Auschwitz was liberated by the Red Army on 27 January 1945. By that time, only about 7,000 prisoners remained, with tens of thousands of others having been forced to leave on "death marches" as the Nazis retreated. The liberation of Auschwitz revealed the horrors of the Nazi extermination campaign and served as a symbol of the genocide perpetrated against the Jews and other targeted groups.
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Auschwitz had many satellite camps
Auschwitz was a network of over 40 concentration and extermination camps, including dozens of sub-camps, operated by Nazi Germany during World War II. The camp complex consisted of three main camps: Auschwitz I, the main camp; Auschwitz II-Birkenau, a concentration and extermination camp with gas chambers; and Auschwitz III-Monowitz, a labour camp for the German chemical conglomerate IG Farben.
Auschwitz III-Monowitz, also known as Buna-Monowitz, was located about 7 km east of Auschwitz I. It was established in February 1941 by the German chemical conglomerate IG Farben, which took advantage of tax exemptions offered to corporations willing to develop industries in frontier regions. The company chose a site near the towns of Dwory and Monowice (Monowitz in German), close to the concentration camp, as a source of cheap labour. The camp provided IG Farben with a labour force of prisoners who worked in the company's synthetic rubber factory.
The Auschwitz camp complex included dozens of sub-camps, also known as satellite camps or extension camps, located throughout the Upper Silesian Industrial Region. These camps were designated as Aussenlager (external camp), Nebenlager (extension camp), Arbeitslager (labour camp), or Aussenkommando (external work detail). The prisoners in these sub-camps performed unpaid slave labour in German coal mines, mills, armaments plants, and large building sites for new industrial facilities important to the German war economy.
The sub-camps were located at Blechhammer, Jawiszowice, Jaworzno, Lagisze, Mysłowice, Trzebinia, and as far afield as the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia in Czechoslovakia. The satellite camps were an integral part of the Auschwitz camp complex, contributing to its function as a site of forced labour and extermination during the Holocaust.
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Frequently asked questions
No. Although the exact number of deaths at Auschwitz is unknown, it is estimated that around 1.1 million people died during the camp's existence, with approximately one million of those being Jews. The second most numerous group was the Poles, with around 70,000 deaths.
Almost 32,000 (46.8%) of the prisoners in the Death Books are listed as Roman Catholics.
420,000 out of 437,000.
Around one in six, or approximately 17%.
