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Preservation of the Camp Bathhouse
Conservation of relics which remain after the camp bathhouse has commenced. The historical object in the area of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz I was located between blocks 1 and 2. Today’s very bad condition of the preserved historical ruins determined their urgent protection.
In the course of the years, the square between the blocks performed various functions. First, a kitchen was located there, a locksmith’s workshop and a smithy and later a bathhouse. Here, the SS-men conducted selections in the course of which prisoners considered incapable of work were directed to the gas chambers.
Elements of the building of the former bathhouse have been preserved: chimneys, containers for water and the floor. Currently, the conservators are starting activities aimed at securing these historical relics which are in a bad condition.
“Apart from planned and long-term conservation activities conducted in the area of the Memorial, we also have to control, on an ongoing basis, the condition of all objects and relics and react if it turns out that any of them is particularly threatened,” explains Rafał Pióro, deputy director of the Museum. “Thence the intervention conservation work which is starting now,” he emphasized.
“In such cases, the activities usually begin from conservation studies and a construction expertise,” says Agnieszka Tanistra-Różanowska, acting Head of the Preservation Department. “Such activities will allow for planning and selecting the best method of conservation and securing the remnants after the historical object,” she added.
The conservation will allow for preserving the authentic relics which, at the same time, constitute an important document of the period of the camp’s operation. Even though the exact schedule of conservation work will be known after completion of initial studies, they are planned for an approximate period of two years.
Bathhouse
The bathhouse was built in March 1942 on the eve of arrival of large transports of women to the camp, mainly Jewish and Polish women, who were assigned to blocks 1 – 10, previously separated by a high wall from men’s camp. It had a wooden structure with wide doors on both sides. It was provided with three heat chimneys, two cisterns for water, showers and sewerage.
After transfer of women to Birkenau in August 1942, the bathhouse was used for systematic baths of prisoners within the scope of lice fighting action – carriers of typhus fever. Having left clothes in their blocks, the prisoners had to walk naked to the bathhouse, stand outside in a queue for several dozen minutes and, after a short time under the showers, return to their blocks running, also naked. The procedure, on cold or rainy days, caused numerous colds, developing into more serious infections (pneumonia) and leading to death. Periodically, the SS doctors conducted selection of sick prisoners, emaciated and considered incapable of work; these prisoners were sent to gas chambers.
Account of Marian Gnyp, former camp prisoner
Prisoners from individual blocks were led to the bathhouse, located in wooden barracks which stood between blocks No. 1 and 2. The misfortune was that we had to strip naked in our block. We were allowed to keep the clogs on. After undressing, shaking from cold, in November chill, we waited for our turn. I remember that sometimes it lasted very long for all the prisoners from my block to get inside the bathhouse. When we were inside, they would pour very hot or very cold water on us and finally, there was an order to leave the bathhouse. Wet, shaking from cold, we were waiting outside for the last prisoners from our block to leave the bathhouse. I remember that all of this lasted infinitely long, even at night. I have no doubts that the result of it was death of many prisoners in the next hours who caught a cold.
Account of Chaim Piotrowski, former camp prisoner
One time, if I remember correctly in October 1944, [SS-Unterscharführer Oswald] Kaduk made a selection among us, pupils of Maurerschule. It took place in the bathhouse between blocks 1 and 2 (its ruins in the form of chimneys have been preserved). We all had to run quite quickly in front of Kaduk. Whoever failed to do it with proper agility was retained. The camp numbers of all the retained prisoners were written down; they were deemed unable to work and on the next day they left in a truck to a gas chamber.
