. Oliver Lustig's Text Presentation of Historic Holocaust Photograps from The Auschwitz Album:The Story of a Transport Publisher: Yad Vashem, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum from Amazon.com .. .

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Editor's Notes:   <> By clicking on a particular photo (or the corresponding magnifying icon), an enlarged version will appear. <> The English text below is a translation from the original Romanian text received and posted <> Additional translations are being sought ... We have posted so far: a Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse] a Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling] a French translation [traduction française] a German translation [Deutsche übersetzung]    a Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás] an Italian translation [traduzione italiano] a Polish translation [wersja polska] a Russian translation []

I. The Gate to Hell (Intrarea in Infern)

[I-1]   THIS is the famous entrance to Birkenau (Auschwitz II) Concentration Camp. The picture is taken from the outside of the Camp. From May 1944 (but not before), the railroad track was constructed to enter directly into the Camp through its front gate. From that time on, all trains, arriving with deportees from almost entire Europe, would enter directly into the Camp on one of the three (3) railroad tracks constructed (as seen in the next picture). (The Original Text in Romanian) Aceasta este faimoasa poarta a lagarului Birkenau (Auschwitz II). Poza este luata din afara lagarului. Din luna Mai 1944 (dar nu inainte), perechea de sine a fost construita sa intre direct in lagar prin poarta ei principala. De atunci inainte, toate trenurile cu deportati, care soseau din mai toata Europa, intrau direct in lagar pe una din cele trei (3) linii de sine construite (ce se vad in fotografia urmatoare).

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

II. The "Ramp of Death" ("Rampa Mortii")

[II-1] The same picture taken from the inside. Now, we can see the entire railroad tracks complex from within the Camp with the space between the tracks known as the "Ramp of Death" because it was from that place that the newly arrivals were selected for who would go straight to the gas chambers. This railroad tracks complex was built only in early 1944 when it was realized that the deportation of Jews from Hungary, including Northern Transylvania and Subcarpathian Ukraine --both annexed at that time to Hungary, would exceed all previously known quotas. As a result of that, Rudolf Höss, the commander of the Birkenau Camp went two times to Budapest. There, he met with Eichmann (head of Gestapo that was responsible for resolving once and for all the so-called Jewish problem) who, temporarily, had moved his headquarters to the capital of Hungary. Together, they were able to come up with an understanding with the Hortyst authorities whereby they could "adjust" the gassing and burning from the Birkenau crematoria with the rate of arrival of the incoming trains. (The Original Text in Romanian) Aceeasi poarta fotografiata din interior. Acum se vede intreg complexul de linii ferate din incinta lagarului, inclusiv spatiul dintre ele, spatiu denumit "Rampa Mortii" care servea drept loc de coborare din vagoane si de selectare a celor sortiti camerelor de gazare. Acest complex s-a construit abia la inceputul anului 1944 cind a devenit cunoscut ca deportarea evreilor din Ungaria, inclusiv Transilvania de Nord si Ucraina Subcarpatica, amandoua anexate pe atunci Ungariei, vor depasi tot ce cunoscuse Holocaustul pana atunci. in consecinta, Rudolf Höss, comandantul lagarului Birkenau, a fost de doua ori la Budapesta. Acolo, impreuna cu Eichmann (seful sectiei din centrele Gestapoului insarcinat cu rezolvarea definitiva a problemei evreiesti) care isi mutase provizoriu punctul de comanda in capitala Ungariei au reusit, in buna intelegere cu autoritatile horthyste de resort, sa "armonizeze" capacitatea de gazare si ardere a crematoriilor de la Birkenau cu ritmul de deportare preconizat.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

III. On the "Ramp of Death" Waiting for a New Transport (Pe "Rampa Mortii" Se Asteapta Sosirea Unui Nou Transport)

[III-1] Now we can see the "Ramp of Death" as it looked in 1944. In the Spring and Summer of that year, the 147 freight trains carried (in their over 6000 locked railcars with grated windows) 434,351 mothers and children, women and men. The entire Jewish population from Hungary and Northern Transylvania STOPPED HERE. In here, on this Ramp, the GREAT SELECTION took place. From each transport (consisting of some 3000 people) at least 2000 have been selected for death. From there, from that very Ramp that you see, that looks so peaceful and tranquil, 2000 innocent people were selected, that looked no different than you, TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE GAS CHAMBERS. The remaining thousand people were selected, temporarily, for slave labor. In the picture, you see two empty trains. From these trains, only 5 or 6 hours before, the previous transport was disembarked. In the front of the picture, we see small groups of SS-men inspecting the Ramp to see that everything is ready for the "welcoming" of the new transport. Further back in the picture, we can see some prisoners (German "Haftlings) from the so-called Komando "Canada" who are at the end of their work of transporting and sorting all the luggage collected from the previous transport. (The Original Text in Romanian) Acum aveti in fata "Rampa Mortii" asa cum arata ea in 1944. In primavara si vara acelui an, toate cele 147 de trenuri ce aduceau, in peste 6000 de vagoane zabrelite si lacatuite, 434.351 de mame si copii, femei si barbati --toti evrei din Ungaria si Transilvania de Nord s-au OPRIT AICI. Aici, pe aceasta rampa, se facea MAREA SELECTIE. Din fiecare transport (alcatuit in medie din cate 3000 de oameni) cel putin 2.000 au fost selectati pentru moarte. De aici de pe aceasta rampa, pe care o aveti in fata si care pare atat de linistita si pasnica, cei 2.000 de oameni nevinovati, semeni de-ai dvs. dragi prieteni, PLECAU DIRECT SPRE CAMERA DE GAZARE. Cealalta mie era selectata, provizoriu, pentru munca de sclav. In imagine vedeti doua trenuri cu vagoanele goale. Din ele, cu 5-6 ore inainte, a coborat transportul anterior. In prim plan mici grupuri de SS-isti inspecteaza rampa, pentrua vedea daca toatul este pregatit in vederea "primirii" noului transport care urmeaza sa soseasca in cateva minute. Undeva, in capatul peronului se vad cativa Haftling-i, din asa numitul Komando "Canada", care sunt pe terminate cu sortarea si transportul tuturor bagajelor (scoase din vagoane) in depozitele din apropiere.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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