50:
1490:
their fellows and left their bodies on the assembly ground until the next shift returned. Ivan
Potekhnin, a Russian prisoner, escaped on April 15, 1944. In the spring of 1944, a group of prisoners dug a tunnel from a barrack, but during an inspection five German Jews were apprehended in it; they were later hanged. In June 1944, Commandant Schmidt shot a Russian prisoner who intended to escape from the subcamp. In late August 1944, yet another Russian prisoner was shot; he had attempted to escape in a freight car leaving the new mine construction site. The escape attempt of a Polish prisoner named Gorewicz, working in the forge, also ended with his execution.
1514:(Gleiwitz) via Mikolow. Severe cold and icy roads made the march difficult, and SS men killed anyone who fell out. On the evening of January 20, 1945, the Fürstengrube prisoners reached the Gleiwitz II subcamp, where they joined prisoners from Auschwitz III-Monowitz as well as some other subcamps. The next day, January 21, the SS loaded approximately 4,000 prisoners into open railway cars bound for Mauthausen. The authorities at Mauthausen did not accept the transport, however, as the camp was overcrowded, but sent the train on to Mittelbau (Dora), where it arrived on January 28. Out of 4,000 prisoners, only about 3,500 survived the seven-day trip.
1478:
at the mine was especially difficult and dangerous because of the low galleries and the abundance of water. Prisoners did not receive the required protective clothing and they were constantly vulnerable to beatings and abuse from the mine's civilian staff as well as prisoner-foremen. The prisoners building the new mine faced equally brutal and exhausting work. They worked in one shift, a day shift, doing all sorts of construction and assembly jobs in groups of painters, bricklayers, welders, metalworkers, and assemblers. Additionally, when the shifts were over, many of the prisoners then had to work to expand the camp.
1462:
Fürstengrube subcamp; by July 1944 that number had risen to approximately 1,200, 85 to 90 percent of whom were Jews. Polish Jews were the most numerous group, but Jews from
Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Greece were also present. Starting in the spring of 1944, there were also several dozen non-Jewish Polish prisoners at Fürstengrube.
1517:
On
January 27, 1945, at about 4:00 p.m., a dozen or so SS men entered the Fürstengrube subcamp and killed most of the remaining prisoners; some they shot, and some burned to death when the SS set their barracks on fire. Only the sudden arrival of Soviet troops forced the SS to flee, thus sparing
1493:
Polish miners on the site helped a group of Polish prisoners by smuggling messages, food, and news of the situation on the fronts. However, the camp's political branch got word of the activity, probably in late August 1944. The prisoners were sent to
Auschwitz I and, after approximately two months of
1489:
Only a few escapes and escape attempts from the Fürstengrube subcamp are known. Gabriel
Rothkopf, a Polish Jew, escaped during the night of December 18–19, 1943, while returning from work at the old mine. In response, Commandant Moll personally shot a randomly selected group of prisoners in front of
1453:
Mainly Jews built the new camp. They lived in the mine's forced-labor camp for Jews, which was under the so-called
Organisation Schmelt; that camp was called Lager Ostland. The Jewish prisoners from that camp were taken away even before the prisoners were moved from the Auschwitz concentration camp.
1481:
Only very sick prisoners were admitted to the camp infirmary. SS doctors conducted periodic selections there and among the other prisoners as well; prisoners who were no longer able to work were moved to the
Birkenau hospital sector (BIIf). The rotation of prisoners was significant as new prisoners
1477:
Prisoners from
Auschwitz who went to the Fürstengrube subcamp were mostly put to work extracting coal in the old mine and building the new one. Prisoners working in the old mine were divided up into three shifts: morning (5 a.m. to 1 p.m.), day (1 p.m. to 9 p.m.), and night (9 p.m. to 5 a.m.). Work
1441:
acquired in
February 1941, was to supply hard coal for the IG Farben factory being built in Auschwitz. Besides the old Fürstengrube mine, called the Altanlage, a new mine (Fürstengrube-Neuanlage) had been designed and construction had begun; it was to provide for greater coal output in the future.
1461:
In early
September 1943, the SS began moving prisoners, probably including a few German prisoner foremen, from Auschwitz to the Fürstengrube subcamp, which appears as "Lager Süd" on mine maps. On September 4, 1943, the Auschwitz labor office reported that 129 prisoners were working at the
1445:
In the period before the Auschwitz concentration camp prisoners were sent to work at Fürstengrube, the mine employed Soviet prisoners of war, Jewish slave laborers, and forced laborers from the USSR in addition to its regular staff. Negotiations in July 1943 between Auschwitz Commandant
1518:
a few of the prisoners. A mine employee who was present afterward reported that they buried 239 bodies. About 20 prisoners survived the massacre. One of them, former prisoner Rudolf Ehrlich, testified to these events on May 9, 1945, before the Investigation Commission for German
1465:
For the first three months, the subcamp was under the direct charge of Auschwitz headquarters; after November 22, 1943, under Auschwitz III-Monowitz. Effective May 22, 1944, the 3rd Guard Company of Auschwitz III took charge of the guard duty. SS Master Sergeant
1485:
In spite of the hard conditions and fight for survival, despite the beatings and persecution, there were attempts to maintain a cultural life at the subcamp, in the form of band concerts and plays. Some prisoners secretly drew portraits of their fellow inmates.
1247:
1525:
In a United States Military Court trial in Dachau from November 15 to December 13, 1945, Otto Moll, the first commandant of the Fürstengrube subcamp, was sentenced to death by hanging for unrelated atrocities committed in
1509:
concentration camps. As of January 17, 1945, 1,283 prisoners, chiefly Jews, remained in the subcamp. On January 19, having burnt the camp's records, the SS led approximately 1,000 prisoners out of the camp, headed for
334:
1470:
was named the subcamp's first commandant; he served in that position until March 1944. SS Technical Sergeant Max Schmidt succeeded Moll until the subcamp was shut down in January 1945. The
1450:
and representatives of IG Farbenindustrie AG and Fürstengrube GmbH, led to an agreement to build a new camp for approximately 600 prisoners—increasing to 1,200-1,300 later—from Auschwitz.
1272:
1180:
1587:
244:
1340:
426:
1404:
830:
1442:
Coal production at the new mine was anticipated to start in late 1943, so construction was treated as very urgent; however, that plan proved to be unfeasible.
1631:
1044:
97:
49:
1482:
replaced those who had been selected. For example, from May 8 to 14, 1944, as many as 42 Fürstengrube prisoners entered the hospital sector of Birkenau.
362:
344:
1285:
1347:
1541:
1371:
1300:
1241:
1174:
319:
1626:
1519:
1295:
329:
1330:
1506:
1397:
575:
1565:
1556:
1454:
The camp report for August 1943 no longer mentions the number of Jews employed. The prisoners moved from Auschwitz then continued the
615:
1498:
590:
1323:
1115:
1110:
738:
595:
560:
525:
69:
470:
1390:
555:
1157:
490:
1318:
1012:
696:
580:
570:
535:
530:
475:
274:
1434:
1280:
1147:
930:
780:
620:
600:
500:
480:
118:
1376:
1266:
920:
605:
565:
485:
226:
713:
1219:
1097:
790:
660:
495:
1527:
1290:
1027:
625:
550:
540:
1188:
610:
510:
1060:
945:
890:
1426:
1366:
925:
885:
732:
701:
252:
194:
1142:
672:
585:
217:
31:
880:
653:
465:
865:
1579:
1231:
1065:
940:
744:
684:
667:
434:
389:
1236:
1055:
875:
369:
148:
1002:
992:
987:
982:
455:
1120:
860:
1561:
1497:
In September, November, and December 1944, the Polish and Russian prisoners were moved to the
1080:
312:
289:
143:
123:
1474:
staff at the beginning of 1944 consisted of 47 SS men and grew to 64 at the end of the year.
1201:
1152:
1092:
960:
955:
895:
850:
751:
384:
108:
1132:
997:
950:
855:
374:
339:
324:
294:
158:
133:
113:
1447:
1206:
1105:
971:
905:
840:
835:
785:
648:
545:
399:
284:
209:
203:
153:
128:
1494:
interrogation, they were brought back to Fürstengrube and hanged on October 10, 1944.
1620:
1022:
870:
825:
414:
394:
279:
186:
138:
39:
1455:
1193:
1070:
770:
419:
404:
379:
232:
103:
79:
1075:
775:
520:
409:
1502:
1422:
935:
176:
1602:
1589:
1467:
1438:
1430:
349:
299:
58:
17:
915:
1511:
181:
1226:
1087:
815:
845:
1545:
54:
1560:, by Benjamin Jacobs, pub University Press of Kentucky, 2001,
1471:
1433:(Myslowitz), approximately 30 kilometers (19 mi) from
1421:
was organized in the summer of 1943 at the Fürstengrube
1554:An account of life in this camp is contained in
1530:. The sentence was carried out on May 28, 1946.
1398:
8:
1578:United States Holocaust Memorial Museum -
1405:
1391:
1250:Israel and the Federal Republic of Germany
1049:
810:
450:
74:
26:
1540:This article incorporates text from the
1286:Timeline of Treblinka extermination camp
1542:United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
1242:Central Committee of the Liberated Jews
1130:
1010:
968:
903:
813:
760:
721:
633:
508:
453:
166:
86:
77:
38:
7:
1632:Nazi concentration camps in Poland
1557:The Dentist of Auschwitz: A Memoir
1544:, and has been released under the
25:
1341:Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos
245:Collaborators during World War II
1324:List of books about Nazi Germany
1111:Resistance movement in Auschwitz
739:Concentration Camps Inspectorate
48:
1458:'s construction and expansion.
1181:Joint Declaration by Members of
1:
1248:Reparations Agreement between
1116:Związek Organizacji Wojskowej
791:Human medical experimentation
1627:Auschwitz concentration camp
1435:Auschwitz concentration camp
781:Extermination through labour
635:Transit and collection camps
1377:Righteous Among the Nations
1273:Deportations of French Jews
1648:
1528:Dachau concentration camp
1189:Auschwitz bombing debate
511:Nazi concentration camps
456:Nazi extermination camps
435:List of selected ghettos
350:People with disabilities
340:Slavs in Eastern Europe
325:Romani people (Gypsies)
1580:Auschwitz/Fürstengrube
1331:The Destruction of the
1175:International response
611:Transnistria (Romania)
429:German-occupied Poland
1603:50.19167°N 19.09722°E
1439:IG Farbenindustrie AG
1372:Memorials and museums
1301:Memorials and museums
762:Extermination methods
466:Auschwitz II-Birkenau
57:on selection ramp at
1425:mine in the town of
1419:Fürstengrube subcamp
1348:Functionalism versus
1281:Survivors of Sobibor
993:Operation "Reinhard"
745:Politische Abteilung
733:SS-Totenkopfverbände
1599: /
1367:Days of remembrance
1267:Holocaust survivors
1061:Vrba–Wetzler report
1056:Auschwitz Protocols
1013:End of World War II
1003:Extermination camps
988:Mogilev Conference
931:Kamianets-Podilskyi
149:Ernst Kaltenbrunner
1608:50.19167; 19.09722
1437:. The mine, which
1183:the United Nations
983:Wannsee Conference
98:Major perpetrators
1415:
1414:
1291:Victims of Nazism
1232:Displaced persons
1165:
1164:
1066:Czesław Mordowicz
1035:
1034:
798:
797:
427:Jewish ghettos in
300:Forced euthanasia
290:Haavara Agreement
260:
259:
196:Totenkopfverbände
124:Reinhard Heydrich
16:(Redirected from
1639:
1614:
1613:
1611:
1610:
1609:
1604:
1600:
1597:
1596:
1595:
1592:
1429:(Wessolla) near
1407:
1400:
1393:
1296:Rescuers of Jews
1202:Nuremberg trials
1133:Ghetto uprisings
1093:Jewish partisans
1050:
998:Holocaust trains
811:
576:Mauthausen-Gusen
451:
219:Verfügungstruppe
109:Heinrich Himmler
82:
75:
52:
42:
27:
21:
1647:
1646:
1642:
1641:
1640:
1638:
1637:
1636:
1617:
1616:
1607:
1605:
1601:
1598:
1593:
1590:
1588:
1586:
1585:
1575:
1536:
1411:
1382:
1381:
1362:
1354:
1353:
1352:
1349:
1336:
1332:
1314:
1306:
1305:
1277:
1274:
1262:
1254:
1253:
1252:
1249:
1222:
1212:
1211:
1185:
1182:
1177:
1167:
1166:
1121:Witold's Report
1047:
1037:
1036:
866:Radziłów pogrom
808:
800:
799:
448:
440:
439:
431:
428:
424:
365:
355:
354:
315:
305:
304:
295:Madagascar Plan
270:
262:
261:
253:Nazi ideologues
249:
159:Christian Wirth
134:Odilo Globocnik
119:Heinrich Müller
114:Joseph Goebbels
78:
72:
62:
40:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1645:
1643:
1635:
1634:
1629:
1619:
1618:
1583:
1582:
1574:
1573:External links
1571:
1570:
1569:
1566:978-0813190129
1551:
1550:
1535:
1532:
1522:at Auschwitz.
1413:
1412:
1410:
1409:
1402:
1395:
1387:
1384:
1383:
1380:
1379:
1374:
1369:
1363:
1360:
1359:
1356:
1355:
1350:intentionalism
1346:
1345:
1344:
1328:
1327:
1326:
1321:
1315:
1312:
1311:
1308:
1307:
1304:
1303:
1298:
1293:
1288:
1283:
1275:to death camps
1271:
1270:
1269:
1263:
1260:
1259:
1256:
1255:
1246:
1245:
1244:
1239:
1234:
1229:
1223:
1218:
1217:
1214:
1213:
1210:
1209:
1207:Denazification
1204:
1199:
1191:
1179:
1178:
1173:
1172:
1169:
1168:
1163:
1162:
1161:
1160:
1155:
1150:
1145:
1137:
1136:
1128:
1127:
1126:
1125:
1124:
1123:
1118:
1113:
1106:Witold Pilecki
1103:
1099:Sonderkommando
1095:
1090:
1085:
1084:
1083:
1081:Alfréd Wetzler
1078:
1073:
1068:
1063:
1048:
1043:
1042:
1039:
1038:
1033:
1032:
1031:
1030:
1025:
1017:
1016:
1008:
1007:
1006:
1005:
1000:
995:
990:
985:
977:
976:
972:Final Solution
966:
965:
964:
963:
958:
953:
948:
943:
938:
933:
928:
923:
918:
910:
909:
906:Einsatzgruppen
901:
900:
899:
898:
893:
888:
883:
878:
873:
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
838:
833:
828:
820:
819:
809:
806:
805:
802:
801:
796:
795:
794:
793:
788:
786:Einsatzgruppen
783:
778:
773:
765:
764:
758:
757:
756:
755:
748:
741:
736:
726:
725:
719:
718:
717:
716:
710:
709:
705:
704:
699:
693:
692:
688:
687:
681:
680:
676:
675:
670:
664:
663:
657:
656:
651:
645:
644:
638:
637:
631:
630:
629:
628:
623:
618:
616:Theresienstadt
613:
608:
603:
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
568:
563:
558:
553:
551:Gonars (Italy)
548:
543:
538:
533:
528:
523:
515:
514:
506:
505:
504:
503:
498:
493:
488:
483:
478:
473:
468:
460:
459:
449:
446:
445:
442:
441:
438:
437:
425:
423:
422:
417:
412:
407:
402:
397:
392:
387:
382:
377:
372:
366:
361:
360:
357:
356:
353:
352:
347:
342:
337:
332:
327:
322:
316:
311:
310:
307:
306:
303:
302:
297:
292:
287:
285:Nuremberg Laws
282:
277:
271:
269:Early policies
268:
267:
264:
263:
258:
257:
256:
255:
248:
247:
241:
238:
237:
236:
235:
230:
223:
215:
211:Sturmabteilung
207:
204:Einsatzgruppen
200:
192:
184:
179:
171:
170:
164:
163:
162:
161:
156:
151:
146:
144:Richard Glücks
141:
136:
131:
129:Adolf Eichmann
126:
121:
116:
111:
106:
101:
91:
90:
84:
83:
73:
70:Responsibility
68:
67:
64:
63:
53:
45:
44:
36:
35:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1644:
1633:
1630:
1628:
1625:
1624:
1622:
1615:
1612:
1581:
1577:
1576:
1572:
1567:
1563:
1559:
1558:
1553:
1552:
1549:
1547:
1543:
1538:
1537:
1533:
1531:
1529:
1523:
1521:
1515:
1513:
1508:
1504:
1500:
1495:
1491:
1487:
1483:
1479:
1475:
1473:
1469:
1463:
1459:
1457:
1451:
1449:
1443:
1440:
1436:
1432:
1428:
1424:
1420:
1408:
1403:
1401:
1396:
1394:
1389:
1388:
1386:
1385:
1378:
1375:
1373:
1370:
1368:
1365:
1364:
1358:
1357:
1351:
1343:
1342:
1338:
1337:
1335:
1334:
1333:European Jews
1325:
1322:
1320:
1317:
1316:
1310:
1309:
1302:
1299:
1297:
1294:
1292:
1289:
1287:
1284:
1282:
1279:
1278:
1276:
1268:
1265:
1264:
1258:
1257:
1251:
1243:
1240:
1238:
1235:
1233:
1230:
1228:
1225:
1224:
1221:
1216:
1215:
1208:
1205:
1203:
1200:
1198:
1197:
1192:
1190:
1187:
1186:
1184:
1176:
1171:
1170:
1159:
1156:
1154:
1151:
1149:
1146:
1144:
1141:
1140:
1139:
1138:
1135:
1134:
1129:
1122:
1119:
1117:
1114:
1112:
1109:
1108:
1107:
1104:
1102:
1100:
1096:
1094:
1091:
1089:
1086:
1082:
1079:
1077:
1074:
1072:
1069:
1067:
1064:
1062:
1059:
1058:
1057:
1054:
1053:
1052:
1051:
1046:
1041:
1040:
1029:
1028:Death marches
1026:
1024:
1023:Wola massacre
1021:
1020:
1019:
1018:
1015:
1014:
1009:
1004:
1001:
999:
996:
994:
991:
989:
986:
984:
981:
980:
979:
978:
975:
973:
967:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
932:
929:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
913:
912:
911:
908:
907:
902:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
826:Kristallnacht
824:
823:
822:
821:
818:
817:
812:
804:
803:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
768:
767:
766:
763:
759:
754:
753:
752:Sanitätswesen
749:
747:
746:
742:
740:
737:
735:
734:
730:
729:
728:
727:
724:
720:
715:
712:
711:
707:
706:
703:
700:
698:
695:
694:
690:
689:
686:
683:
682:
678:
677:
674:
671:
669:
666:
665:
662:
659:
658:
655:
652:
650:
647:
646:
642:
641:
640:
639:
636:
632:
627:
624:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
602:
599:
597:
596:Sachsenhausen
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
567:
564:
562:
561:Herzogenbusch
559:
557:
554:
552:
549:
547:
544:
542:
539:
537:
534:
532:
529:
527:
526:Bergen-Belsen
524:
522:
519:
518:
517:
516:
513:
512:
507:
502:
499:
497:
494:
492:
489:
487:
484:
482:
479:
477:
474:
472:
469:
467:
464:
463:
462:
461:
458:
457:
452:
444:
443:
436:
433:
432:
430:
421:
418:
416:
413:
411:
408:
406:
403:
401:
398:
396:
393:
391:
388:
386:
383:
381:
378:
376:
373:
371:
368:
367:
364:
359:
358:
351:
348:
346:
343:
341:
338:
336:
333:
331:
328:
326:
323:
321:
318:
317:
314:
309:
308:
301:
298:
296:
293:
291:
288:
286:
283:
281:
280:Nazi eugenics
278:
276:
275:Racial policy
273:
272:
266:
265:
254:
251:
250:
246:
243:
242:
240:
239:
234:
231:
229:
228:
224:
222:
220:
216:
214:
212:
208:
206:
205:
201:
199:
197:
193:
191:
189:
188:Schutzstaffel
185:
183:
180:
178:
175:
174:
173:
172:
169:
168:Organizations
165:
160:
157:
155:
152:
150:
147:
145:
142:
140:
139:Theodor Eicke
137:
135:
132:
130:
127:
125:
122:
120:
117:
115:
112:
110:
107:
105:
102:
100:
99:
95:
94:
93:
92:
89:
85:
81:
76:
71:
66:
65:
60:
56:
51:
47:
46:
43:
41:The Holocaust
37:
33:
29:
28:
19:
1584:
1555:
1539:
1524:
1516:
1496:
1492:
1488:
1484:
1480:
1476:
1464:
1460:
1452:
1444:
1418:
1416:
1339:
1329:
1319:Bibliography
1195:
1131:
1098:
1071:Jerzy Tabeau
1011:
969:
904:
814:
761:
750:
743:
731:
722:
634:
509:
454:
233:Trawniki men
225:
218:
210:
202:
195:
187:
167:
104:Adolf Hitler
96:
87:
80:Nazi Germany
18:Fürstengrube
1606: /
1520:Nazi Crimes
1499:Flossenbürg
1448:Rudolf Höss
1361:Remembrance
1158:Częstochowa
1101:photographs
1076:Rudolf Vrba
926:Częstochowa
876:Lviv (Lvov)
776:Gas chamber
691:Netherlands
591:Ravensbrück
556:Gross-Rosen
521:Auschwitz I
345:Homosexuals
335:Soviet POWs
154:Rudolf Höss
1621:Categories
1594:19°05′50″E
1591:50°11′30″N
1507:Mauthausen
1503:Buchenwald
1045:Resistance
936:Ninth Fort
891:Vel' d'Hiv
807:Atrocities
702:Westerbork
697:Amersfoort
581:Neuengamme
571:Kaiserwald
536:Buchenwald
531:Bogdanovka
177:Nazi Party
61:, May 1944
1468:Otto Moll
1431:Myslowice
1423:hard coal
1313:Resources
1237:Survivors
1220:Aftermath
1196:St. Louis
1148:Białystok
961:Erntefest
921:Bydgoszcz
881:Marseille
851:Szczuczyn
831:Bucharest
723:Divisions
649:Breendonk
621:Uckermark
601:Salaspils
501:Treblinka
481:Jasenovac
370:Białystok
227:Wehrmacht
59:Auschwitz
946:Piaśnica
916:Babi Yar
856:Jedwabne
708:Slovakia
654:Mechelen
606:Stutthof
566:Janowska
491:Sajmište
486:Majdanek
375:Budapest
32:a series
30:Part of
1512:Gliwice
1456:subcamp
956:Rumbula
886:Tykocin
836:Dorohoi
816:Pogroms
771:Gas van
685:Bolzano
643:Belgium
496:Sobibor
476:Chełmno
420:Vilnius
363:Ghettos
313:Victims
221:(SS-VT)
198:(SS-TV)
182:Gestapo
1564:
1505:, and
1427:Wesoła
1227:Bricha
1153:Łachwa
1143:Warsaw
1088:Bricha
951:Ponary
941:Odessa
896:Wąsosz
871:Kaunas
861:Plungė
673:Drancy
661:France
626:Warsaw
541:Dachau
471:Bełżec
415:Warsaw
395:Lublin
385:Kraków
380:Kaunas
88:People
1534:Notes
1261:Lists
846:Izieu
714:Sereď
679:Italy
447:Camps
405:Minsk
330:Poles
1562:ISBN
1546:GFDL
1417:The
841:Iași
668:Gurs
546:Dora
410:Riga
400:Lwów
390:Łódź
320:Jews
213:(SA)
190:(SS)
55:Jews
1194:MS
586:Rab
1623::
1501:,
1472:SS
34:on
1568:.
1548:.
1406:e
1399:t
1392:v
974:"
970:"
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.