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Auschwitz One Day | Special | Full Documentary

criminals and crime fighters・2 minutes read

Bernard Balter, a former SS sergeant major at Auschwitz, is depicted as one of the perpetrators involved in the systematic killings at the camp, as detailed through his photography. The text unveils the atrocities committed at Auschwitz, the struggles in holding perpetrators accountable, and the lasting impact on survivors like Irene Maris.

Insights

  • The arrival of 16,000 Hungarian Jews at Auschwitz in May 1944, including 13-year-old Irene, showcases the mass deportations from Hungary and the unawareness of the victims regarding their fate, emphasizing the scale and tragedy of the Holocaust.
  • The lack of legal consequences for SS men like Valter, despite their involvement in the atrocities at Auschwitz, reveals the challenges in prosecuting war criminals post-war, with only a small fraction facing justice, raising questions about accountability and justice in the aftermath of such heinous crimes.

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Recent questions

  • What time did inmates at Auschwitz start work?

    Between 6 AM and 7 AM

  • How were Hungarian Jews transported to Auschwitz?

    By train

  • What was the main purpose of gas chambers at Auschwitz?

    Systematic killings

  • How were victims' bodies disposed of at Auschwitz?

    Incinerated in ovens

  • What happened to SS men from Auschwitz after the war?

    Many avoided legal consequences

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Summary

00:00

Auschwitz: SS Sergeant's Chilling Photographic Account

  • Bernard Balter, an SS sergeant major, is ordered to attend a special detail at Auschwitz.
  • In Auschwitz, inmates rise between 4 and 5 AM, with work starting at 6 AM and breakfast consisting of hot broth.
  • The Zonda Commando receives better food, aiding their survival during intense work shifts at the incinerators.
  • Train after train arrives at Auschwitz in mid-May 1944, with 16,000 Hungarian Jews delivered on May 26th.
  • The Hungarian Jews, including 13-year-old Irene, arrive at Auschwitz unaware of their fate.
  • In March 1944, the German Army moves into Hungary, leading to the deportation of 150,000 Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz.
  • Bernard Balter, initially a plasterer, becomes a photographer at Auschwitz, capturing the camp's operations.
  • Auschwitz becomes the main extermination camp, with gas chambers installed for systematic killings.
  • Bernard Balter's photographs of Auschwitz's operations are intended to showcase the camp's efficiency.
  • Selections at Auschwitz involve separating arrivals into columns based on their ability to work, leading to the separation of families and individuals deemed unfit for work.

23:09

Auschwitz: Labor, Gas Chambers, Liberation, Survivors

  • Auschwitz is initially perceived as a labor camp, with young people and old people/mothers and children being separated for work.
  • The photographers of Auschwitz capture images of those deemed unfit to work, focusing on elderly people, women, and children.
  • The photographers, like Bernhard Walter, seem concerned but not desperate, unaware that these images will be the final testament of the victims' existence.
  • The SS men, like Stefan Hertler, justify their actions through propaganda-fueled hatred towards Jews, viewing children as potential future enemies.
  • The gas chambers at Auschwitz are described in detail, with victims being deceived into entering and then killed with Cyclone B gas.
  • The SS members rationalize the gas chamber killings as more humane than shooting the victims, despite the excruciating pain caused by the gas.
  • The bodies of the victims are incinerated in ovens near the gas chambers, with a high kill rate reported during the process.
  • The photographs taken at Auschwitz, intended for a photo album, inadvertently serve as evidence of the atrocities committed, contrary to the perpetrators' intentions.
  • The forced labor and dehumanization process at Auschwitz, including stripping, hair cutting, and showering, is described in detail.
  • The liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army in January 1945 reveals the horrors of mass murder, with survivors like Irene Maris eventually emigrating and sharing their experiences.

47:27

Auschwitz SS man evades justice after trial.

  • In May 1947, Valter, an SS man from Auschwitz, is extradited to Poland and put on trial in Krakow, receiving a three-year prison sentence. Despite being summoned as a witness at the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials in 1964, he denies any involvement in the killings and shows no signs of guilt, ultimately facing no further legal consequences and passing away in 1979.
  • Out of the SS men who served in Auschwitz and survived the war, only one in eight was ever sentenced for their actions, resulting in a mere 800 convictions for the murder of over one million people at Auschwitz. This highlights the challenges in prosecuting those responsible for atrocities during the war, with many individuals managing to reintegrate into society without facing legal repercussions.
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