First mass transport to Auschwitz concentration camp
Encyclopedia
On June 14, 1940, German occupying authorities organized the first mass transport of prisoners to the recently opened Auschwitz Concentration Camp
. The transport, which set from southern Polish
city of Tarnów
, consisted of 728 Poles, including some Jewish Poles. They were political prisoners, usually affiliated with resistance movements and in most cases, they were Catholics, since the mass deportations of Jews had not yet begun. All were sent to Auschwitz by the Sicherheitspolizei
— German Security Police. They came to Auschwitz I from the regular prison at Tarnow, where they had been incarcerated as political opponents of the Nazi regime. These inmates were assigned the numbers 31 through 758, with numbers 1 through 30 having been reserved for ordinary German criminals, brought from Sachsenhausen
, who had come to Auschwitz on May 20 and who later became kapo
s.
According to local historian from Tarnów, Aleksandra Pietrzykowa, a day before the transport, on June 13, the 728 prisoners were called from a previously prepared list and ordered to take a shower and to disinfect themselves in a public bath. The procedure lasted all night and early in the morning, whole group, escorted by the SS, marched along deserted Tarnów streets, to the railway station's platform. There, all were pushed to the waiting rail cars.
Eugeniusz Niedojadlo, who was in the group, recalled later: “The day of our departure was hot and sunny. We were walking in fours, guarded by the armed SS. Inhabitants of Tarnów were ordered to stay in their homes, and we had no idea where we were going”.
Niedojadlo stated that the sprawling group looked like a giant snake and it gave him impression of cattle, being led to a slaughterhouse. "The SS were constantly yelling at us, and we were sad and depressed. Even though the streets were empty, here and there I saw curious faces looking at us from behind the curtains. At one moment, some unknown hand tossed a bunch of red flowers towards us, but an SS officer trampled it."
Polish historian Aleksandra Pietrzykowa, who specializes in World War II-related topics in the area of Tarnów claims that initially, 753 persons left the prison on that day. However, only 728 inmates reached the camp. Pietrzykowa tried to find answer to that question, writing: "In prison records, under the date June 13, 1940, a transport of 753 persons was mentioned. However, 25 persons less reached the camp. We have established that one person was released at the rail platform, just before departure of the train. According to testimonies of other inmates — Jan Stojakowski (number 577, arrested on November 2, 1939), E. Geissler and Wladyslaw Pilat (number 330), the remaining 24 might have been prisoners from Stalowa Wola
, who reached Auschwitz, but for unknown reasons, all were brought back to Tarnów on the next day. In Tarnów prison records, under the date June 15, 1940, there is a short entry: “Transport Stalowa Wola, 24 persons”. We do not know what happened to these inmates and why they were transported back, if they were transported back at all."
The number 31, which opened the list of political prisoners of Auschwitz I, was given to Stanisław Ryniak, who was the first Pole in Auschwitz Ryniak, who in 1940 was 24 years old, had been arrested by the Nazis in his hometown of Sanok
in May 1940 and was accused of being a member of the Polish resistance. On May 7, he was transported to Tarnów prison, together with eighteen other Poles from Jarosław.
The number 758, the last one of the transport, was assigned to Ignacy Plachta from Łódź. Plachta had been caught by the Gestapo
in southern town of Zagórz
, on February 1, 1940, while trying to escape to Hungary
. Prisoner number 349 that day was famed Polish Olympic skier Bronislaw Czech
who was captured in his hometown Zakopane
, Poland in May.
Upon arrival, the Poles lined up in five rows and were met by Hauptsturmführer
Karl Fritzsch
, who announced: "This is Auschwitz Concentration Camp... Any resistance or disobedience will be ruthlessly punished. Anyone disobeying superiors, or trying to escape, will be sentenced to death. Young and healthy people don't live longer than three months here. Priests one month, Jews two weeks. There is only one way out — through the crematorium chimneys". The crematorium however did not begin operation till August 15, 1940.
In spite of those dim prospects, Aleksandra Pietrzykowa established that around 200 members of the first transport survived. Eugeniusz Niedojadlo, a political prisoner and survivor, who spent almost five years in Auschwitz, said that members of the first transport kept together all the time. The Tarnow inmates also cooperated with other Polish inmates, from nearby city of Rzeszów
.
Today, the square in front of former public bath in Tarnów is called Square of Auschwitz Inmates, and in 1975, a monument commemorating this tragic event was unveiled there. The author of the project of the monument is Tarnów's architect Otto Schier.
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
. The transport, which set from southern Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
city of Tarnów
Tarnów
Tarnów is a city in southeastern Poland with 115,341 inhabitants as of June 2009. The city has been situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999, but from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital of the Tarnów Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east-west connection...
, consisted of 728 Poles, including some Jewish Poles. They were political prisoners, usually affiliated with resistance movements and in most cases, they were Catholics, since the mass deportations of Jews had not yet begun. All were sent to Auschwitz by the Sicherheitspolizei
Sicherheitspolizei
The Sicherheitspolizei , often abbreviated as SiPo, was a term used in Nazi Germany to describe the state political and criminal investigation security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of the Gestapo and the Kripo between 1936 and 1939...
— German Security Police. They came to Auschwitz I from the regular prison at Tarnow, where they had been incarcerated as political opponents of the Nazi regime. These inmates were assigned the numbers 31 through 758, with numbers 1 through 30 having been reserved for ordinary German criminals, brought from Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
, who had come to Auschwitz on May 20 and who later became kapo
Kapo (concentration camp)
A kapo was a prisoner who worked inside German Nazi concentration camps during World War II in any of certain lower administrative positions. The official Nazi word was Funktionshäftling, or "prisoner functionary", but the Nazis commonly referred to them as kapos.- Etymology :The origin of "kapo"...
s.
According to local historian from Tarnów, Aleksandra Pietrzykowa, a day before the transport, on June 13, the 728 prisoners were called from a previously prepared list and ordered to take a shower and to disinfect themselves in a public bath. The procedure lasted all night and early in the morning, whole group, escorted by the SS, marched along deserted Tarnów streets, to the railway station's platform. There, all were pushed to the waiting rail cars.
Eugeniusz Niedojadlo, who was in the group, recalled later: “The day of our departure was hot and sunny. We were walking in fours, guarded by the armed SS. Inhabitants of Tarnów were ordered to stay in their homes, and we had no idea where we were going”.
Niedojadlo stated that the sprawling group looked like a giant snake and it gave him impression of cattle, being led to a slaughterhouse. "The SS were constantly yelling at us, and we were sad and depressed. Even though the streets were empty, here and there I saw curious faces looking at us from behind the curtains. At one moment, some unknown hand tossed a bunch of red flowers towards us, but an SS officer trampled it."
Polish historian Aleksandra Pietrzykowa, who specializes in World War II-related topics in the area of Tarnów claims that initially, 753 persons left the prison on that day. However, only 728 inmates reached the camp. Pietrzykowa tried to find answer to that question, writing: "In prison records, under the date June 13, 1940, a transport of 753 persons was mentioned. However, 25 persons less reached the camp. We have established that one person was released at the rail platform, just before departure of the train. According to testimonies of other inmates — Jan Stojakowski (number 577, arrested on November 2, 1939), E. Geissler and Wladyslaw Pilat (number 330), the remaining 24 might have been prisoners from Stalowa Wola
Stalowa Wola
Stalowa Wola is the largest city and capital of Stalowa Wola County with a population of 64,353 inhabitants, as of June 2008. It is located in southeastern Poland in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship...
, who reached Auschwitz, but for unknown reasons, all were brought back to Tarnów on the next day. In Tarnów prison records, under the date June 15, 1940, there is a short entry: “Transport Stalowa Wola, 24 persons”. We do not know what happened to these inmates and why they were transported back, if they were transported back at all."
The number 31, which opened the list of political prisoners of Auschwitz I, was given to Stanisław Ryniak, who was the first Pole in Auschwitz Ryniak, who in 1940 was 24 years old, had been arrested by the Nazis in his hometown of Sanok
Sanok
Sanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
in May 1940 and was accused of being a member of the Polish resistance. On May 7, he was transported to Tarnów prison, together with eighteen other Poles from Jarosław.
The number 758, the last one of the transport, was assigned to Ignacy Plachta from Łódź. Plachta had been caught by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in southern town of Zagórz
Zagórz
Zagórz is a town in Sanok County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland, on the river Osława in the Bukowsko Upland mountains, located near the towns of Medzilaborce and Palota...
, on February 1, 1940, while trying to escape to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Prisoner number 349 that day was famed Polish Olympic skier Bronislaw Czech
Bronislaw Czech
Bronisław "Bronek" Czech was a Polish sportsman and artist. A gifted skier, he won championships of Poland 24 times in various skiing disciplines, including Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and ski jumping. A member of the Polish national team at three consecutive Winter Olympics, he was also one of...
who was captured in his hometown Zakopane
Zakopane
Zakopane , is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a...
, Poland in May.
Upon arrival, the Poles lined up in five rows and were met by Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
Karl Fritzsch
Karl Fritzsch
SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Fritzsch , was a German concentration camp officer and deputy, who first suggested and experimented with using Zyklon B gas for the purpose of mass murder.- Background :...
, who announced: "This is Auschwitz Concentration Camp... Any resistance or disobedience will be ruthlessly punished. Anyone disobeying superiors, or trying to escape, will be sentenced to death. Young and healthy people don't live longer than three months here. Priests one month, Jews two weeks. There is only one way out — through the crematorium chimneys". The crematorium however did not begin operation till August 15, 1940.
In spite of those dim prospects, Aleksandra Pietrzykowa established that around 200 members of the first transport survived. Eugeniusz Niedojadlo, a political prisoner and survivor, who spent almost five years in Auschwitz, said that members of the first transport kept together all the time. The Tarnow inmates also cooperated with other Polish inmates, from nearby city of Rzeszów
Rzeszów
Rzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
.
Today, the square in front of former public bath in Tarnów is called Square of Auschwitz Inmates, and in 1975, a monument commemorating this tragic event was unveiled there. The author of the project of the monument is Tarnów's architect Otto Schier.