70 SS men killed in Auschwitz revolt

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Researcher
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70 SS men killed in Auschwitz revolt

#1

Post by Researcher » 10 Oct 2002, 22:12

Just read about a new film released in the USA titled The Grey Zone.
It is supposedly factual (Primo Levi and Miklos Nyiszli are cited) and follows the 12th Sonderkommando at Auschwitz who took part in an armed revolt, destroying a crematorium, damaging a second one and killing 70 SS.

Is this true? I've heard of the revolt but not that number of SS casualties.

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Researcher

PS: British distributors are reluctant to release it.

David Thompson
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#2

Post by David Thompson » 11 Oct 2002, 01:23

Researcher -- Danuta Czech's Auschwitz Chronicle, pp. 725-26 has an entry on a revolt which took place on 7 Oct 1944. Prisoners belonging to the "Special Squad" (of Crematoria workers) discovered that they were scheduled to be liquidated. During the noon break the prisoners seized, then burned Crematorium IV. Some of them were able to escape, but others trying to flee were surrounded in a barn at Rajsko, which the SS set on fire, killing 250 prisoners. 200 more prisoners were subsequently shot for involvement in the revolt. SS dead, according to Czech, numbered 3, with perhaps 12 more injured.


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Ando
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#3

Post by Ando » 11 Oct 2002, 02:28

Why are the British distributors reluctant to release it? Is it because the facts are wrong or its just a bad movie? I watched the clip for it about a month ago.

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Hans
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#4

Post by Hans » 11 Oct 2002, 08:23

David Thompson wrote:SS dead, according to Czech, numbered 3, with perhaps 12 more injured.
The three killed SS men were

SS-Unterscharführer Rudolf Erler, (31.8.04 - 7.10.44), 5./SS-T-Stuba.KL Auschwitz I.

SS-Unterscharführer Willi Freese, (30.9.21 - 7.10.44), 2./SS-T-Stuba.KL Auschwitz II

SS-Unterscharführer Josef Purke, (28.2.03 - 7.10.44). 1./SS-T-Stuba.KL Auschwitz II

Miklos Nyiszli is also exaggerating when he says there were 12 Jewish Sonderkommandos in Auschwitz that were liquidated every two months, there were two, and only one was completely liquidated in late 1942.

The crematorium they destroyed, number IV, was not in operation any way and the revolt failed to cause a general uprising in the camp.

Nevertheless the revolt meant much for the Jewish prisoners, since they showed that, if they had weapons, the Jews would have fought against their butchers.

To the hosts: isn't that a topic for H & WC section?

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#5

Post by Researcher » 11 Oct 2002, 21:09

I guess we are agreed that the figure of 70 SS killed is wildly inaccurate.
I entered the question in this section because I would be after the biographical details of the SS men in question (which Hans has now supplied)
Regards
Researcher

PS: No reason given on why the film cannot get a UK distributor. The article ends . . The films future here (in Britain) probably depends on how it performs in America. . Seems its just a commercial issue.

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#6

Post by David Thompson » 12 Oct 2002, 02:59

Reaearcher -- Sorry! I had the names too, but mistakenly thought you were interested in the numbers. I'll try to be more thorough next time.

PF
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Re: 70 SS men killed in Aushwitz revolt

#7

Post by PF » 06 Dec 2014, 23:33

What does 5./SS-T-Stuba.KL Auschwitz I. translate into?

history1
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Re: 70 SS men killed in Auschwitz revolt

#8

Post by history1 » 07 Dec 2014, 10:53

5th company of the SS - Totenkopfsturmbann KL Auschwitz Main Camp

Tankbuster72
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Re: 70 SS men killed in Auschwitz revolt

#9

Post by Tankbuster72 » 07 Dec 2014, 13:00

I have the grey zone on DVDs it's one of a large collection. The story is based around the sonderkommando and them finding a young 14 year old girl still alive in the gas chambers.
It's a strange story line with them trying to keep them self alive the girl alive and destroying the gas chambers. It's the only revolt ever to happen in Auschwitz during the Second World War.

PF
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Re: 70 SS men killed in Auschwitz revolt

#10

Post by PF » 07 Dec 2014, 14:59

Oh ...In the Auschwitz account by Hungarain Jewish Doctor...there was one young girl survivor of a gas chamber...the sonderkommando tried to keep her alive ...but she was killed by order of the SS Sgt Mussfield

PF
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Re: 70 SS men killed in Auschwitz revolt

#11

Post by PF » 24 Feb 2015, 19:11


Linkagain
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Re: 70 SS men killed in Auschwitz revolt

#12

Post by Linkagain » 18 Nov 2021, 21:08

total 3 members of SS and A Kapo killed
Prehaps a dozen injured
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=204120
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=89096&hilit=Auschwitz+revolt

VanillaNuns
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Re: 70 SS men killed in Auschwitz revolt

#13

Post by VanillaNuns » 19 Nov 2021, 14:03

Mark Felton's video on the revolt:

https://youtu.be/QINXeZCo-v4

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Re: 70 SS men killed in Auschwitz revolt

#14

Post by Peter » 31 Jan 2022, 14:30


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