Gas Vans
By Kristen Campbell
Purpose of Gas Vans
The Nazis had used poison gas for the purpose of mass murder in late 1939 with the killing of mental patients ("euthanasia"). A Nazi euphemism, "euthanasia" (referred to the systematic killing of those Germans whom the Nazis deemed), was about "unworthiness of life" because of mental illness or physical disability.
Bernburg, Brandenburg, Grafeneck, Hadamar, Hartheim, and Sonnenstein were six centers that were used to kill people. The centers contained pure, chemically manufactured carbon monoxide gas inside each building.
Hartheim castle
Link to picture:
Euthanasia Centers
A Gas Van
Link to picture: http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/NAZI%20GAS%20VANS.htm
Centers For Killing Jews
Most of these camps used Zyklon B as the killing agent in their gas chambers.
What are Gas Vans?
asphyxiation by carbon monoxide. About 700,000 people were victims of gas
vans.
Gas vans were sealed trucks with an engine exhaust that was diverted to the interior compartment.
The use of gas vans began after Einsatzgruppe members (squads under the German SS Police Department) where they complained about battle fatigue and mental anguish caused by shooting large numbers of women and children. Gassing was cheap so it was a good idea at the time to buy gas vans and put them to use.
Gas Chambers
Gas Chambers
Link to picture:
http://communpedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Auschwitz_gas_chamber.jpg
Belzec Death Camp
Link to picture: https://firstlightforum.wordpress.com/tag/gas-chambers/
Anti-Senitism
At the height of the deportations, up to 6,000 Jews were gassed each day at Auschwitz.
Many suffered and were killed by gas in the chambers.
A Change of Plans...
The murder of Jews in gas vans had already started on December 6, 1941 at Chelmno, shortly before the Wannsee Conference, which had been originally scheduled for December 9th.
Music
Prison personnel abused inmate musicians for their own purposes. With forced daily musical performances they furthered the process of breaking the prisoners’ willpower and of human degradation.
Music in Nazi camps served as a necessary distraction and method of cultural survival for the victims, and simultaneously as a means of domination for the perpetrators.
Boy In The Stripped Pajamas Gas Chamber
Link to Video:
Works Cited Page
http://communpedia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Auschwitz_gas_chamber.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REhsVkNyUsE
https://firstlightforum.wordpress.com/tag/gas-chambers/
http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/NAZI%20GAS%20VANS.htm
http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/places/camps/