The Origins of the Auschwitz Camp in the Light of Source Materials

by Piotr Setkiewicz

The Origins of the Auschwitz Camp in the Light of Source Materials is an analysis of almost one hundred previously unpublished or little-know German documents connected with the origins of KL Auschwitz and the first phase of its operation. The authors examine many aspects of the history of Auschwitz that have not been studied before, such as the decision to establish the camp, its planned size, and the chronology of its construction. The documents presented here with historical commentary confirm that almost from the very beginning Auschwitz was planned for 30,000 prisoners – larger than any one of the concentration camp existing at the time. Many of the documents discussed here attest to the significant role played by the many German firms involved in building the camp complex. The authors—Piotr Setkiewicz, Igor Bartosik, and Łukasz Martyniak—are historians at the Research Center of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Oświęcim.

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Born in 1963, studied history at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow and earned his doctorate at the Silesian University in 1999 for a dissertation on IG Farben-Werk Auschwitz 1941-1945.

He began working for the research department at the Auschwitz Museum in 1988. Head of the archives from 2001-2007, he became head of the research department in 2008. His research interests include the employment of prisoners in German industry and the history of the Auschwitz sub-camps.

His hobby is music.