Main Exhibition  Part I - Auschwitz I Stammlager

Auschwitz I – Stammlager was a concentration camp originally established in 1940 as a camp for Polish prisoners of war. It was here that the first gas chamber was created, along with a crematorium; the punishment cells and the wall of death were also here. Today Auschwitz I – Stammlager is home to the permanent exhibition documenting the history of the camp and the background to its creation. It explains the structure and topography of the camp, describes the day-to-day life of the prisoners, looks at the successive stages of the extermination process, and includes displays of the personal effects of the victims found in their abandoned luggage after the liberation of the camp. Block No. 11, which has been preserved in its original state, was the camp prison, with cells. One of these was the starvation cell, where Fr Maksymilian Kolbe met his death. In the courtyard of Block 11 is the “wall of death”, where death sentences were carried out by firing squad. In this part of the camp the only surviving gas chamber and crematorium may also be seen. This is also the part of the camp where the various national exhibitions are displayed, as well as the Jerusalem Yad Vashem exhibition, “Shoah” .

Around two hours should be reserved for your tour of Auschwitz I – Stammlager.

Learn more about our school trips and study tours to Auschwitz Memorial and Museum >>>