Auschwitz-Birkenau Camps

KL Auschwitz was the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centers. Over 1.1 million men, women and children lost their lives here. The concentration camps of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II–Birkenau are a different kind of must-see. The camps, located about an hour west of Krakow, provide a sobering look into the past. Over 900,000 Jews were brought to these camps from German-occupied countries between 1942 and 1944. Political prisoners, Roma, and people of various ethnicities were also detained here. Less than 10% of those brought here survived their stay.

As Soviet forces marched into Poland at the conclusion of the war, the Nazis demolished the gas chambers and crematoria before leaving. Despite the fact that they were able to damage and burn down part of the camp, many of the structures are still intact today. Only a guided tour of the camps, which contain over 300 barracks and hundreds of other buildings and crematoriums, is available.

• Official site: http://auschwitz.org/en/
• Location: Oświęcim, Poland