CLOTHES

In the first period of Auschwitz the prisoner's clothes consisted of blue-white striped drill garments. Usually, male inmates received a shirt, long underdrawers, a jacket, trousers, wooden pantines and, possibly a coat during winter. Women seldom got underwear. The only ones who were allowed to keep their uniforms in the camp were the Soviet prisoners of war.

Already in spring 1942, the rationalization of garments was not enough to clothe all prisoners. Thus, the SS handed out clothes of gassed Jews to the newly arriving people or uniforms of killed Soviet prisoners of war to female inmates. Since February 9, 1943, Polish and Russian prisoners were allowed to keep their clothes. This order was later extended to all inmates. But also the civilian clothes had to be marked according the prisoner's category. Despite the full stock-rooms, the inmates still had to suffer from unsufficient, dirty and torn clothes. Proper and unmended clothes and clean shoes sometimes made better work possible and brought a certain "respect" from the SS. .