The Auschwitz concentration camp complex was a system of concentration camps (, abbreviated as either KL or KZ) run by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland from 1940 to 1945. The main camp (German: Stammlager) was Auschwitz I. Auschwitz II, or Birkenau, was a concentration and extermination camp, and became the most notorious of the camps. Auschwitz III, or Monowitz, was a labour camp.

In addition to the three largest camps, Auschwitz consisted of several subcamps. The satellite camps were named Aussenlager (external camp), Nebenlager (extension or subcamp), and Arbeitslager (labour camp). Several lay within of the main camp, with prisoner populations ranging from dozens to several thousand.

KL Auschwitz Administration

As the size and purpose of Auschwitz changed during World War II, its structure and chain of command changed too. From 1940 to late 1943, Auschwitz I was the Stammlager and the other camps were subordinate to it. In November 1943 Birkenau and Monowitz became independent camps with their own commandants, although the commandant of Auschwitz I remained the senior officer. Auschwitz I and Birkenau were placed back under one command in November 1944, and Auschwitz III was named Monowitz.

Commandants Auschwitz I: Rudolf Höss (May 1940 – November 1943), Arthur Liebehenschel from (November 1943 – May 1944), Richard Baer (May 1944 – 27 January 1945) Birkenau: Fritz Hartjenstein (November 1943 – May 1944), Josef Kramer (May 1944 – November 1944). Other: Johann Schwarzhuber (overseer, men's camp, November 1943 – November 1944) Monowitz: Heinrich Schwarz (November 1943 – January 1945)

Subcamps The known subcamps of the Auschwitz complex included: #Name of the subcampLocationLife timeNumber of prisonersTenant1.Harmense (Geflügelfarm)HarmężeDec 1941 – Jan 1945About 150 prisonersFor purposes of KL2.Budy (Wirtschaftshof)BrzeszczeApr 1942 – Jan 1945700-800 prisonersFor purposes of KL3.Babitz (Wirtschaftshof)Babice near OświęcimMar 1943 – Jan 1945About 340 prisonersFor purposes of KL4.Birkenau (Wirtschaftshof)Brzezinka near Oświęcim1943 – Jan 1945More than 200 prisonersFor purposes of KL5.Raisko (Gärtnerei)RajskoJun 1944 – Jan 1945About 300 female prisonersFor purposes of KL and SS research6.Plawy (Wirtschaftshof)PławyDec 1944 – Jan 1945About 200 prisonersFor purposes of KL7.GolleschauGoleszówJul 1942 – Jan 1945About 1,000 prisonersOstdeutsche Baustoffwerke GmbH8.JawischowitzJawiszowiceAug 1942 – Jan 1945More than 2,500 prisonersReichswerke Hermann Göring9.Chelmek (Aussenkommando)ChełmekOct 1942 – Dec 1942About 150 prisonersOta Schlesische Schuhwerke ("Bata Shoes")10.Monowitz Buna-WerkeJohn F. Ptak (September 23, 2008), Distinguishing Oświęcim (town), Auschwitz I, II, & III, and the Buna Werke. From the "Pamphlet Collection" of the Library of Congress.Monowice near OświęcimOct 1942 – Jan 194510,223 prisoners in three IG Farben locations as of 17 January 1945.–11.EintrachthütteEintrachthütte concentration camp in ŚwiętochłowiceMay 1943 – Jan 19451,374 prisonersBerghütte12.Neu-DachsJaworznoJun 1943 – Jan 1945More than 3,500 prisonersEnergieversorgung Oberschlesien Aktiengesellschaft (EVO)13.FürstengrubeWesoła near MysłowiceSep 1943 – Jan 1945700–1,200 prisonersIG Farben14.Janinagrube (Gute Hoffnung)LibiążArtur Hojan & Cameron Munro (2017), Camp: Janinagrube / Gute Hoffnung; Obieżowa Colony, Libiąż.Sep 1943 – Jan 1945877 prisonersIG Farben15.LagischaŁagisza, now BędzinSep 1943 – Sep 1944About 1,000 prisonersEnergie-Versorgung Oberschlesien AG16.GünthergrubeLędzinyFeb 1944 – Jan 1945300-600 prisonersIG Farben17.Gleiwitz IGliwiceMar 1944 – Jan 1945About 1,300 prisonersReichsbahnausbesserungswerk18.LaurahütteSiemianowice ŚląskieMar/Apr 1944 – Jan 19451,000 prisonersRheinmetall Borsig AG19.BlechhammerBlechhammer concentration camp near SławięciceApr 1944 – Jan 1945609 prisonersO/S Hydrierwerke AG20.BobrekBobrek concentration camp near OświęcimMay 1944 – Jan 1945About 50–213 prisoners and about 50 female prisonersSiemens-Schuckert21.Gleiwitz IIGliwiceMay 1944 – Jan 1945More than 1,000 prisonersDeutsche Gasrusswerke22.Sosnowitz IISosnowiecProf. Stuart Stein: "Affidavit of Dieter Wisliceny", from Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, Volume VIII. USGPO, Washington, 1946, pages 606–619. Note: SS-Hauptsturmführer Dieter Wisliceny in his testimony given before the International Military Tribunal at Nurnberg, 3 January 1946, erroneously identifies the Auschwitz concentration camp complex as the concentration area Sosnowitz (which was one of its dozens of subcamps).May 1944 – Jan 1945About 900 prisonersOst Maschinenbau GmbH (Berghüte)23.Gleiwitz IIIGliwiceJul 1944 – Jan 1945450–600 prisonersZieleniewski - Maschinen und Waggonbau GmbH - Krakau24.HindenburgZabrzeAug 1944 – Jan 1945About 400-500 female prisoners and about 70 prisonersVereinigte Oberschlesische Hüttenwerke AG (Oberhütten)25.TrzebiniaTrzebionka near TrzebiniaAug 1944 – Jan 1945600-800 prisonersErdölraffinerie Trzebinia GmbH26.Tschechowitz I BombensucherkommandoMarek Szafranski (Februar 2, 2018), Unique pictures of Auschwitz prisoners went to the Bielsko-Biała historian Jacek Proszyk. Tschechowitz I Bombensucherkommando. dzieje.plCzechowice-DziedziceAug 1944 – Sep 1944About 100 prisonersReichsbahn27.AlthammerStara Kuźnia near Halemby, now Ruda ŚląskaSep 1944 – Jan 1945About 500 prisoners28.BismarckhütteChorzówSep 1944 – Jan 1945About 200 prisonersBerghütte (for its Bismarck steel mill at Chorzów Batory)29.CharlottengrubeRydułtowySep 1944 – Jan 1945About 1,000 prisonersReichswerke Hermann Göring30.NeustadtPrudnikSep 1944 – Jan 1945About 400 female prisonersSchlesische Feinweberei AG31.Tschechowitz II VacuumCzechowice-DziedziceSep 1944 – Jan 1945About 600 prisoners32.HubertshütteŁagiewniki, now BytomDec 1944 – Jan 1945200 prisonersBerghütte-Königs und Birmarckhütte AG33.FreudenthalBruntal1944 – Jan 1945About 300 female prisonersEmmerich Machold34.LichtewerdenSvětlá (now Czech Republic)Nov 1944 – Jan 1945About 300 female prisonersG.A. Buhl und Sohn35.SosnitzSośnica near GliwiceJul 1940 – Aug 1940About 30 prisonersFor purposes of KL36.Porombka (SS-Hütte, Solahütte)Międzybrodzie BialskieOct/Nov 1940 – Jan 1945About 50 prisoners and about 10 female prisonersFor purposes of SS37.AltdorfStara Wieś near PszczynaOct 1942 – 1943About 20 prisonersOberforstamt Pless (Pszczyna forestry authority)38.RadostowitzRadostowice near Pszczyna1942 – 1943About 20 prisonersOberforstamt Pless39.Kobier (Aussenkommando)Kobiór1942 – Sep 1943About 150 prisonersOberforstamt Pless40.BrünnBrnoOct 1943 – Apr 1945250–150 prisonersFor purposes of SS41.Sosnowitz (I)SosnowiecAug 1943 – Feb 1944About 100 prisoners42.Gleiwitz IVGliwiceJun 1944 – Jan 1945About 500 prisonersFor purposes of SS43.Kattowitz (Sonderkommando)KatowiceJan 1944 – Jan 194510 prisonersGestapo44.Bauzug (2 SS)Karlsruhe, after StuttgartSep 1944 – Oct 1944About 500 prisoners living in a trainSS-WVHA

See also Massacre in Budy List of Nazi concentration camps Subcamp (SS)

Notes

References

Further reading Der Ort des Terrors: Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslager (English: Place of Terror: History of the Nazi Concentration Camps), volume 5: Auschwitz