CHILDREN IN AUSCHWITZ (part 2)

Children who were born in Auschwitz

The destiny of pregnant women was especially horrible. In the first period, they were automatically sent to the gas chambers. Though, some women gave birth to children secretly in the camp, but then died of blood-poisoning. Even after a successful birth, the life expectation of a baby was very low: SS-doctors and their assistants took away the babies and killed them.

Since early 1943, the registered women who had already been in the camp were allowed to bear children, but the new born babies were then drowned in a tub of water by helpers of the SS.

In 1943, new born babies of "Aryan origin" were not killed anymore, but registered in the camp card-index. Just like adults, they got a tatoo with a number on their bottom or thigh, since their arms were still too tiny.

Due to the camp conditions, the babies had nearly no expectation to stay alive. Had a mother been successful in keeping her baby up to two months, she had to give it away, otherwise she was sent to the gas chamber together with the child.

Some blond and blue-eyed children were taken away from their mothers by the SS. These kids should be "germanised", whereas Jewish children were still killed with the same cruelty.

Mothers, suffering from malnutrition, chill and illnesses, often could not prevent that their children were biten or even killed by rats.

There were no medicaments, napkins or special baby food available for new born babies.