WORK

The prisoner's work assignments aimed total destruction. Except a few buildings, Auschwitz concentration camp and a big part of the surrounding industrial plants were built by the prisoners themselves.

There were different working commandos and - fields for prisoners:

• Works in the camp: For example camp writer, prisoner's doctor, handicraft works or work in the Canada commando (stock for goods brought by the newcomers which were taken away)

   

• Works out of the camp: The hardest works were building works, streetwork, train trackbuilding, river regulations, in the quarry, in the punishment commando.

   

• Assignment to private, state or SS-owned factories (for example IG-farben): The enterpreneurs could "rent" individual prisoners from the SS and dispose of them freely. In return, they had to pay between 3 to 6 RM to the SS. Through the labour assignment of prisoners, a broad net of subcamps industrial- and armament factories came into being.

Generally, school education or profession were ignored for assignment purposes to a special working commando.

The SS enforced a murderous tempo and most efforts in order to "break" the prisoners and cause them a painful death.