The construction of the large gas chambers and crematoria in Birkenau including Crematorium II (in the photo) began in 1942. Hundreds of thousands of people were sent to their death here. The crematoria were blown up by the Nazis with the aim to obliterate all traces of the mass murder before the arrival of the Red Army.
Upon arrival Max, his father and his uncle were sent to do forced labor. His father and his uncle were selected and killed later. The rest of his family were immediately murdered in what he believes was Crematorium II.