About the Holocaust and the Trip to Concentration Camps
The holocaust began in January 1933 and ended on May 8, 1945. About 11 milion people were killed by the Nazis, or taken to concentration camps and killed there. Nazis targeted Jews, gypsies, and the disabled for persecution. It is estimated that about 6 million Jews were killed. About 220,000-500,000 gypsies were killed. There are actually more than just concentration camps. There were also extermination camps, labor camps, prisoner-of-war camps, and transit camps. The biggest camp was called Auschwitz. An estimated 1.1 million people were killed there. Nazis first started putting victims in ghettos, and then transported by freight trains to concentration camps. The trip lasted a few days, and nobody got any food or water. If they were lucky, they would get a very small portion of bread. Some victims died of starvation before they even got to the camps. When they got to the camp, families would be separated. Some would be taken straight to the gas chamers, and others would be put to work. Over 80% of victims got killed right away. The longest trip took 18 days, and when they open the train, everyone had already died.
Gas Chambers
Gas Chambers were how most of the victims of concentration camps died. After the groups were transported to the camps, some would go straight to the gas chambers. Others who were specifically chosen were sent to work, and then if they didn't die from dehydration, hunger or other causes they would eventually be sent to the gas chambers. The Nazis would tell the victims that the gas chambers were showers, to get them to go in. The groups of people that would be sent in at one time were very large. There were very few survivors of gas chambers. Once the poison was released into the chambers, the victims had to fight for a breath of fresh air.