What was Auschwitz?

Introduction 
Auschwitz is one of the most recognized names in Holocaust history and, often, one of the most misunderstood. It is often treated as a symbol, a word that stands in for the Holocaust as a whole. But Auschwitz was not a symbol. It was a place — a vast, deliberate, interconnected system of camps, labor sites, and killing centers that the Nazis built and expanded over five years. Between 1940 and 1945, more than 1.1 million people were murdered there. Around one million of them were Jews. This video breaks down what Auschwitz actually was: how it was structured, how it functioned, who was sent there and why, and what daily life and death looked like inside it. It also introduces students to the voices of survivors — among them Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi — who bore witness to what happened and helped the world understand the human lives behind the numbers. Understanding Auschwitz does not mean understanding the Holocaust entirely. But it is impossible to understand the Holocaust without it. 

How to Use This Guide 
This guide will support students and educators in understanding what Auschwitz was, how it functioned as a system, and what the experiences of those imprisoned and murdered there reveal about the nature of the Holocaust. This video deals with difficult and graphic content. Before viewing, consider whether your students have the foundational historical context they need to engage meaningfully. If this is students' first introduction to the Holocaust, use the pre-learning activities below to build that context first.