Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

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RG
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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#16

Post by RG » 11 Dec 2014, 00:04

Well, does this hut really belongs to the concentrtion camp? In Oswięcim there were and still are many buildings which were built not only for imates but also for workers (also German) who built the Oswięcim chemical factory. The woodden buildings were smetimes moved (I know about at least one such a case) to other places, used as ordinary homes after the war and no martyrdom is related to it.
The threat relates not only to wooden objects, buildings made of concrete are in danger too, shelters for example. 2 or 3 years ago one of such shelters were removed (destroyed) from the main market of Oswięcim, at the moment there is sealed fate of another concrete shelter (60 meters long) wich is to be demolished.
Germans built in Oswięcim many buildings more or less related to the camp, it is a pity but Poland can not afford to turn the whole city into museum, not Poles built these facilities.

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Geoff Walden
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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#17

Post by Geoff Walden » 11 Dec 2014, 14:10

Thanks for posting, RG - you can likely add a lot to our knowledge of Auschwitz/Oswiecim.

The structure in question (barrack) has German slogans on the roof support beams - similar to other concentration camp writings. I wonder if any other wooden huts in Monowitz have similar writing. Have you visited this ruin/artifact? I believe I know its correct location now.

Which concrete shelter (60 meters) is the one that is going to be demolished?

Did you happen to see my questions about other Auschwitz buildings at http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 4&t=211903 ? Can you identify any of these buildings? Thanks!


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RG
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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#18

Post by RG » 11 Dec 2014, 21:45

Geoff Walden wrote:Thanks for posting, RG - you can likely add a lot to our knowledge of Auschwitz/Oswiecim.

The structure in question (barrack) has German slogans on the roof support beams - similar to other concentration camp writings. I wonder if any other wooden huts in Monowitz have similar writing. Have you visited this ruin/artifact? I believe I know its correct location now.

Which concrete shelter (60 meters) is the one that is going to be demolished?

Did you happen to see my questions about other Auschwitz buildings at http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 4&t=211903 ? Can you identify any of these buildings? Thanks!
I am not familiar with Monowice, but if I have time I may try to visit it. Identical barrack stood for many years at the front of my parents-in-law and according to this what I was told it did not belong to the camp itself but was used for workers outside of the camp. As I remember, this barrack was made of very poor materials and it was miracle it survived till 21 century. I may ask for other such structures in the neighborhood. It relates foremost to Dwory (next to the chemical factory) but my parents-in-law had also relatives in Monowice so maybe I will find out more. But believe me, in Oświęcim there are hundreds various objects, from small, made of concrete prefabricated one man guard house to various objects made of brics (garages, offices or buildings of unknown purpose) and concrete shelters. After the war many concrete shelters were demolished by local people to recover steel for reinforced, I know at least one case where a new home is staying on cellar of the office built by Germans. I have got impression that 20 years ago I saw a few such barracs.
The 60 meters long shelter I meant is depicted in the picture (coordinates: 50 02'24.79"N 19 15'13.31"E).
I have not seen your post before. I do not promise, but when I am on Christmas I will try to make photos from the ground level.
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shelter m.jpg
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Makarov
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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#19

Post by Makarov » 13 Dec 2014, 11:30

The wooden barrack Geoff´s speaks about and tried to find and the Concrete stucture RG speaks about are obviously not the same, or is it that the wooden barrack might be attached at the rear end of the Concrete structure or in the vicinity?

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Geoff Walden
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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#20

Post by Geoff Walden » 14 Dec 2014, 16:51

Thanks for the info RG. I did not know about this LS bunker ... it looks quite a bit larger than the similar LS bunker at the Monowitz camp site.
Makarov wrote:The wooden barrack Geoff´s speaks about and tried to find and the Concrete stucture RG speaks about are obviously not the same, or is it that the wooden barrack might be attached at the rear end of the Concrete structure or in the vicinity?
Hi Makarov,

The so-called barracks remnant is (supposedly) located in the former Monowitz camp area itself. This LS bunker that RG shows us (new to me!) is located near the NW corner of the I.G. Farben Buna-Werke complex. I guess it was built for the German employees who were housed in that area. I now believe this is the correct location of the wooden shack that is said to be a remnant of a camp barrack.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=50.02820 ... 1&t=h&z=17

Geoff

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Makarov
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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#21

Post by Makarov » 14 Dec 2014, 19:22

Geoff,
Thank you very much for the information regarding the barrack´s supposely location, I will for sure look for it when I go back next spring.

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Makarov
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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#22

Post by Makarov » 24 May 2015, 15:10

Geoff Walden wrote:Another update ... maybe this barrack remnant IS still there. It appears I was misled as to its location, and I was looking in the wrong place. Unfortunately, I can't go back and check again.
The barrack is no more, this is a Picture I took less than a week ago.
Monowitz.JPG
Monowitz.JPG (282 KiB) Viewed 726 times
Barrack.jpg
Barrack.jpg (98.78 KiB) Viewed 726 times
However, this barrack is still there (red circle) which might be from the time when the camp existed (Demolished barrack black circle).
Monowitz barrack.jpg
Monowitz barrack.jpg (213.63 KiB) Viewed 724 times
Monowitz gelaende.jpg

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Geoff Walden
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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#23

Post by Geoff Walden » 24 May 2015, 19:53

Thanks for the update, Makarov ... that's a shame. I saw that other building as well (in fact, I was led to that one by a webpage that incorrectly gave that location for the one that you found demolished). I wasn't sure if it was actually a camp building ... it didn't really look like the other one on the inside or outside. But I'm not at all sure.

Did you find the Judenrampe?

Geoff

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Makarov
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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#24

Post by Makarov » 24 May 2015, 20:27

Geoff Walden wrote:Thanks for the update, Makarov ... that's a shame. I saw that other building as well (in fact, I was led to that one by a webpage that incorrectly gave that location for the one that you found demolished). I wasn't sure if it was actually a camp building ... it didn't really look like the other one on the inside or outside. But I'm not at all sure.
Both "barracks" are on private property and I didn´t want to trespassing the existing one, nor I couldn´t find anyone at home. So it´s difficault to say wether it´s a real thing or postwar. At the one that is demolished I met the person who is living in the house that the barrack was attached to and was given permission to walk around.
Geoff Walden wrote:Did you find the Judenrampe?
I found the Judenrampe, but I didn´t find anything that I for sure could identify as the original one. I would guess that if a person had the proper clothing, knew exactly what to look for and had the time to search the area he/she might find something.

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Re: Threat to demolish Auschwitz barrack

#25

Post by Geoff Walden » 02 May 2016, 18:54

Although the washroom barrack fragment in question is gone, some parts at least were preserved. There is a local group that is working to preserve Auschwitz remnants that are outside the Museum boundaries. They have done a lot of work in the Monowitz area. They have a display in the recently-opened bookshop/cafeteria building that is adjacent to the Birkenau public car park. This display was temporarily closed due to "technical difficulties" when I was there a couple weeks ago, so I didn't get to see the display. But I found this on the group's webpage:
http://auschwitz-podobozy.org/en/
monowitzdisplayfpmp59.jpg
http://auschwitz-podobozy.org/en/start/138-ig-farben-werk-auschwitz
monowitzdisplayfpmp59.jpg (38.98 KiB) Viewed 589 times
Here is this part seen inside the barracks a few years ago (from Hans Citroen's book "Auschwitz-Oswiecim/Oswiecim-Auschwitz")
MonowitzwashbarracksignHansCitroen.jpg
Hans Citroen - "Oswiecim-Auschwitz, Auschwitz-Oswiecim" (2011)
MonowitzwashbarrackHansCitroen.jpg
Hans Citroen - "Oswiecim-Auschwitz, Auschwitz-Oswiecim" (2011)

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