Auschwitz Timeline |
1940 April 27 - With World War II underway since the previous September, Nazi general Heinrich Himmler orders the building of a concentration cmap at Auschwitz. April-June - Germany controls Denmark, Norway, Belguim, Holland and France. Jews and gypsies are deported from Germany to Poland. 1941 March 1 - Himmler inspects Auschwitz and orders the building of Auschwitz II - also known as Birkenau. June 22 - Germany attacks the Soviet Union and mass slaughter of Polish citizens by the Nazis occurs. July 31 - Nazi Marshall Goring signs the order which led to the attempted genocide of Jews in Europe. 1942 February 15 - The first trainloads of Jews are killed inAusschwitz using the gas Zyklone B. March 20 - The Auschwitz gas chambers are used for the first time and Polish Jews are the first to be murdered. May 4 - Auschwitz prisoners not fit to work are sent to the gas chambers. July 4 - For the first time, newly arriving prisoners at Auschwitz are sent immediately to the gas chamber if they cannot work. July 15 - The first Dutch Jews arrive at Auschwitz. November 26 - The first Norweign Jews arrive at Auschwitz. 1944 March 19 - The first Hungarian Jews arrive at Auschwitz and 400,000 will arive in a seven-week period. June - With Nazi fortunes on the decline, extermination of Jews accelerates. It is estimated that as many as 9,000 murders occur each day. November 25 - Himmler orders the Auschwitz camps to be destroyed. 1945 January 27 - The Soviet Army reaches Auschwitz. A few thousand surviving prisoners greet them. |