[Harry Mazal]

Danny mentions the photographs on page 261. There are pictures of the
collapsed roof of Krema II (documents 93, 94, 95, 96 and 97). The
following information appears for document 97:

Page 261:

"Document 97 (PMO neg. no. 858)

South/North view of the ruins of the gas chamber (Leichenkeller I) of
Krematorium II, taken from its southern end. Bottom left is one of the
four openings, its chimney dismantled, through wich the Zyclon-B 
was poured. In the foreground, the roof is resting on a pillar that
withstood the explosion. The black parts of the roof are the places
where the protective layer of concrete has cracked and exposed the
layer of bituminous damp-proofing material."

[Note: To my inexperienced eye, there is only a small segment of the
aperture in the 'bottom left' of the photograph. It is a pity that the
picture does not take in the entire aperture. -- HWM]

I had quoted the above together with a number of other instances in
Pressac where apertures and/or shutters (doors) for pouring Zyklon-B
appeared. After scanning the entire book, I unfortunately managed to
send the information into the ether without any of you receiving it!
By using an improperly set-up version of Eudora-Pro my several hours
of research disappeared without a clue.

Let's see if I can now get this information sent without buggering it
up...

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Page 335

"Photo 8 [PMO neg. no. 20995, Kamman Series]

View of the south side of Krematorium II, with in fornt of it,
Leichenkeller 1 (the future gas chamber), taken on a
southwest/northeast line on the same day as photo 7, i.e. between 20th
and 22nd January 1943.

On the extreme left, two workingmen are tiling the roof. Kamann
photographed only the part of the building where the tiling was nearly
finished. The dormer windows are in place, their ridges waiting to be
tiled.

The fresh air intake chimney for Liechenkeller 1 is completed and the
collective chimney containing the air extraction ducts for
Leichnekeller 2, the washing room and laboratory, the furnace room,
and Leichenkeller 1 is under construction.

Furnaces 1, 2, 3 and 4 (but not 5) are being warmed through to dry
them out, as can be seen from the fact that there is no snow on the
central part of the roof. In the right foreground, the structure of
Leichenkeller 1 is complete including the roof. The chimneys through
which ther Zyclon-B  was poured were installed later and the roof
was covered with an earth bank."

[Note: The physical structure of Leichenkeller 1 is quite visible in
the picture. It appears to be underground except for a small part of
the walls and the flat roof. Although, as Pressac mentions, there are
no apertures in the roof at this time, this picture, along with those
on page 261, help tighten the evidence. -- HWM]

******************************************************************

Page 340: (Text refers to descriptions in French printed on the actual
photograph)

"Photo 17a Translation of inscriptions:

- South side of Kr II or BW 30

- in January 1943 (handed over in working order by the Bauleitung on
31st March 19433)

- Undressing room or Leichnekeller 2 of Krema II

- Collective chimney of Krema III under construction

- Krematorium III

- Ventilation chimneys

- Collective chimney of Kr II (with no soot stains)

- 3 openings for pouring Zyclon-B 

- Gas chamber or Leichenskeller 1 of Krema II

- Inscription [reading] 'Karl Brandt' [on small steam-engine]

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*

Page 341 [Text refers to descriptions in French printed on the actual
photograph)

"Photo 17a

- South side of Kr II or BW 30

- Seen from Kla"ranlage I or sewage treatment plant I probably in
summer 1943

- Ventilation chimneys

- Openings for pouring Zyclon-B 

- Underground gas chamber

- Collective chimney of Kr II with soot stains

- the 7 double windows of the room with the 5 3-muffle furnaces

- Added chimney (heating for Capo's room)

- Capo's room (in fact used by the SS) with rraces of a fire

- Furnace irons store

- Bulls-eye windows of WC-shower room

- Prisoner dissectionist's room (Dr. Nyiszli during summer 1944)

- The ramp

- Kla"ranlage I or sewage treatment plant I

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**

Page 342

"Photo 18 (PMO neg. No. 20995/507, Kamann Series

View of the western end and south side of Krematorium III, BW 30a, at
the time of its official handing over to the camp adminisration by the
Baulkeitung on 25th June, 1943.

This photo, with explanatory inscriptions by the author, was published
in the 'Auschwitz Album' (Editions du Seuil, page 215).

The four Zyclon-b  introduction chimneys, located on alternbate
sides of the roof (unlike Krematorium II where they are in a straight
line down the center), are almost impossible to distinguish, despite
the excellent quality of the print.

In the foreground, in front of the barbed wire fence surrounding
Krematorium III, is the extension of the no. 1 railway track, going
past the ramp, which was used for shunting purposes.

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**

Page 145

"Photo 7 (Photo by the Author)

Northern corner of Krematorium I, present state. The building on the
right was that housing the SS hospital of the camp. The first floor
windows afforded a direct view down onto the roof of Krematorium I,
and hence on the SS-men pouring Zyclon-B  through the traps
during the gassing. At such times it was forbidden to look out of the
windows. The proximity of these buildings led to the southwest part of
the crematorium being converted into an air raid shelter for the SS
hospital in September 1944."

[Note: Very telling proof that the old Krema I was converted into a
bomb shelter can be found on page 149: (Translated from the German
Text) -- HWM]

"Document 31 (PMO BW 11/4, p.1)

Auschwitz 6.11.44

Rationed materials required for the SS air raid shelter (old
crematorium) BW 14 in 4 copies. Auschwitz 14.11.44

Signature illegible"

[Note: list of supplies follows the above. -- HWM]

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*****
Page 149:

"Photo 14: (Source: Warsaw Central Commission, Stanislaw-Luzko series,
sygn. 5149)

'Dance on the Roof of the Old Crematorium'

View of the roof of the Krematorium I, looking south/north in 1945
(May?). The chimney has not yet been rebuilt. The features of the roof
are:

- two ventilation chimneys for the furnace room (two-tone with a dark
cap)

- two other brick chimneys, probably for ventilating the air raid
shelter in view of their newly-built appearance

- in addition, on a line parallel to and left of that on which the two
brick chimneys are built, it is possible to see THREE  [of the]
places where the former traps for introducing Zyclon-B  have been
filled in, thus indicating that the morgue had been used as a gas
chamber.

Above the stage, dominated by a red star with the hammer and sickle,
fly the flags of Poland (left) and the Soviet Union (right), with
lamps mounted above them. This photograph proves that a dance was
organized on the roof of Krematorium I, and that people actually
danced above the homicidal gas chamber. This episode appears almost
unbelievable and sadly regrettable today, and the motives for it are
not known. This photo also proves that the present covering of roofing
felt and the zinc surround of the roof are not original."

[Note: Most important is that the photo clearly shows three apertures
on the roof that have been covered over. The picture dates from
_before_ the reconstruction of Krema I into its present form as a
museum. Compare with photos and text on page 150. -- HWM]

***********************************************************************

Page 150:

"External Views of Krematorium I (Roof):

Photo 15 (photo by the author)

Overall view of the roof of Krematorium I, looking southeast. On the
right hand side are the four openings for pouring Zyclon-B  (1 to
4) reconstructed _after_ the war. [emphasis mine - HWM] On the left,
the two probable ventilation chimneys for the air raid shelter (A and
B) and one of the two ventilation chimneys for the furnace room (2)."

"Photo 18 (photo by the author)

One of the four openings for pouring Zyclon-B  installed after
the war. They are of wood covered with roofing felt."

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***

Page 155:

"Photo 26 (Source PMO)

Northwest/southeast view of the former gas chamber, taken from the
location of the washing room that adjoined the original morgue. The
present floor area of 94M2 (excluding the air-lock at the far end)
does not correspond to that of the former morgue/gas chamber which was
78.2M2. At the end is the southeast air lock of the air raid shelter.
In the ceiling are openings 1 (left) and 2 (right) {cf photos of the
roof of Krematorium I} for the pouring of Zyclon-B , installed
after the war. To the left is the door communicating with the furnace
room, reinstalled about 1 metre from its original position."

***************************************************************************
*

Pages 228 & 229:

"Document 44 (Photo by the author)

Entrance to the Leichenkeller 1 (gas chamber) sewer manhole, situated
on the outside, against the center of the western wall. The top rung
of the metal ladder can be seen."

"Document 45 (Photo by the Author)

View of the inside of the manhole of document 46 with its access
ladder. On the left is the rod running from the waste water stop cock
to its control wheel above the ground. The location can be seen on
Bauleitung drawing 1300 of 18/6/42."

"Document 46 (Photo by Author)

Concrete cover with metal handle, weighing about 20 kg originally made
for the manhole of documents 44 and 45, now next to the remains of an
opening on the roof of Leichenkeller 1 (the gas chamber) of
Krematorium II, through which Zyclon-B  was poured."

***************************************************************************


Page 354

"The Ruins of Leichenkeller 1 (gas chamber) of Krematorium II"

"photo b''' : (Photo by the Author, lower right)

North/south view of the western part of the ceiling of Leichenkeller
1, with the south wall at the far end. Upper left, the hole in the
ceiling is assumed to be one of the Zyclon-B  introduction
openings, but the positions of the two holes that can be seen today do
not correspond to those of the U.S. Air Force photographs taken on
25th August 1944. The reason for this as yet unexplained difference
could well be simply that the roof shifted considerably when
dynamited."

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*

Page 369

"Document 26: PMO photograph Neg. No. 20995/507, annotated by the
author and published on page 215 of 'L'Album d'Auschwitz' Editions du
Seuil, 1983

- West and South aspect of Krematorium III or BW 30 a in June 1943
(handed over in working order on 25th June, 1943)

- Underground Gas Chamber or Leichnekeller 1 of Krematorium III with
orifices for pouring in Zyclon-B .

- Side door leading to the corpse chute.

- Air intake for the gas chamber

- Undressing room air outlet.

- Dissecting room air outlet.

- Gas chamber noxious air outlet.

- Furnace room air outlet.

- Collective chimney of Krematorium III

- Coke store

- Yard entrance gates.

- Underground undressing room or Leichenkeller 2 of Krematorium III

- Dissecting room.

- Stairway for SS acess to the basement.

- Official entrance to the Krematorium.

- Waste incinerator room.

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8

Page 417:

"Photo 8 (a) Translation of inscriptions (from left to right):

- The gas chambers of Krematorien IV and V

- South and west ends, beginning of April 1943.

- Block of 3, then 4 gas chambers of Krematorium V

- Block of 3 gas chambers of Krematorium IV

- Gas-tight doors

- Stove chimney

- The two chimneys of Krematorium V

- Zyclon-B  introduction shutters

- Stove chimney

- Coal store

- 'Doctor's' Room

- Ventilation for undressing room/morgue

- One of the two chimneys of Krematorium IV

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