In the summer of 1944, eight months before the liberation of the camp, transports from Hungary started to arrive in Birkenau. Some people were deemed fit for slave labor, but most of them were immediately sent to the gas chambers. In about six weeks more than 440.000 Hungarian Jews - men women, children and elderly - were murdered.
The photo above depicts the arrival and selection of the Hungarian Jews. It originates from the Auschwitz Album, a set of 200 photographs taken by the Nazis in the summer of 1944. The photos document the arrival of the Hungarian Jews, their selection and last moments.
- Look at the photo and think about your first impressions.
- Tap the image and enlarge the photo. Then study the details of the scene carefully. Consider how the details contribute to your understanding of the arrival scene.