0 Birkenau: The Registration Process

This is the main registration building, where prisoners who were "lucky" enough to survive the disembarking selection were taken to be processed into the camp.  "Canada II", a warehouse used for storing items confiscated from prisoners, was located in the grassy area in front of the registration building.  "Canada", at the main Auschwitz camp, and "Canada II" were so named because the prisoners saw Canada as the land of riches and opportunity- for them, this meant a chance to live freely.

After prisoners were filed through the main room, where they were forced to give up their belongings, they were sent to the hair cutting room.

Also known as the "examination room".  Prisoners were examined for any hidden valuables- all orifices were searched. 

This was the shower room.  An actual shower room.

Autoclaves (steam sterilizers) for clothing and belongings.

Disinfection wash.

Autoclaves (dry sterilizers) for other textiles.

Cart used to transport ashes from the crematorium.  Most of these were destroyed by the Nazis prior to their evacuation, but this one survived. The cart ran on tracks laid out from the crematoriums to the disposal pits.  Some ashes were carted to the local river, the Wisla/Vistula, while others were used as a sprinkled fertilizer over local crops.