Birkenau, or Auschwitz II. Brick main entrance with SS watch tower, a familiar scene from films and history books.

Birkenau contained more than 300 buildings, of which 45 made of brick and 22 of wood have survived almost intact. The wooden buildings once served as field stables for 52 horses each. They were minimally modified for use as barracks, each housing up to 1,000 prisoners

Photo 909, May 2007

Birkenau, main brick gate with watchtower, from the inside

Tracks are the originals from which deportees were unloaded from transports — usually cattle cars — and the selections made as to whom would be gassed immediately (or almost so) or be allowed to work for the Third Reich until, typically, they died of starvation, overwork, appalling sanitation, and physical and psychological abuse. As many inmates were told outright, "escape from Auschwitz was only up a chimney". From 1943, prisoners were tattooed and Auschwitz was the only camp where inmates labeled with identifying tattoos.

Photo 921, May 2007