| Drawing 2197(a)(r) |
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This inventory drawing is the combination of the
principal Bauleitung project drawings for Krematorium II (and by
extension, for Kr III), with the addition of a situation plan of the
building. The protect drawings were also updated according to the
modifications made during construction.
Drawing 2197 is
made up as follows: |
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Situation drawing,
1:5000, with orientation, showing the location of Krematorium II
with respect to BA.I (the first construction stage of the Birkenau
camp); |
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Schnitt / Section A B:
cross section of the building through the Vorraum/ Vestibule leading
to Leichenkeller 1 and 2 and the Vorplatz / Antechamber, including
the modifications shown on drawing 2003, except as regards the
corpse chute, which remains; |
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Schnitt/ Section G-H:
partial copy of drawing 934 showing cross-sections of Leichenkeller
1 and 2, the cross-section of Leichenkeller 2 (the undressing room)
being unchanged |
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Kellergrundriss/
basement plan: taken from 932, it shows: |
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The final arrangement of the
basement, with [on 2197[a] and [b](r) only] the drainage system,
basically as on drawing 1300, adapted according to the changes
made; |
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The final arrangement of the
former Leichenkeller 3 and the junction between Leichenkeller 1 and
2, as shown on drawing 2003, with the corpse chute retained,
contrary to what had been planned, though the bottom end was
truncated to stop it encroaching on the vestibule (making passage
from Leichenkeller 3 to Leichenkeller 1 easier) the opening at the
foot of the double stairway being closed off by double doors. It is
not known whether these doors were ever installed, but on 19/3/43
the DAW workshops completed a Bauleitung order of 17/3/43 for a
wooden wall to fence off the chute of Krematorium II, this coming
more or less into line with drawing 2003: |
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On the three versions of 2197,
there is an access stairway at the western end of Leichenkeller 2,
making the path taken by the victims more “linear”. The drainage of
this room was modified accordingly. |
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Drawing 2197[b](r) shows
not only the final version of the drainage system, but also the
water taps [using the symbol  ] and the
electric lamps  in Krematorium
II. Thus Leichenkeller 2, the undressing room, had five taps along
its southern wall and 10 lamps placed alternately on the north and
south walls. Leichenkeller 1, the gas chamber, was fitted with three
taps, which were subsequently removed and 16 lamps arranged in pairs
along the longitudinal center beam. This number of taps and lamps is
confirmed by the inventory of the Krematorium II basement drawn up
as part of the official handover procedure, and makes it possible to
correct an error made by a Bauleitung employee, who made an entry of
the wrong line of the form; |
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Schnitt/ Section C-D:
copy of the cross section of Krematorium II through the chimney, as
per drawing 934: |
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West Ansicht / West
elevation: copy of drawing 936 (original north side, now become
west) with additional traces of the roof of Leichenkeller 2
(cross-section) and the beginning of the roof of Leichenkeller 1;
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Erdgeschoß / Ground
floor plan: copy of drawing 933 with the following
modifications: |
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The original dissecting room is
divided in two: the dissecting room proper and a laboratory for
examining the results; |
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In the WC in the southeast part
of the Krematorium, the shower shown on drawing 933 has been
omitted, though it was actually installed (according to the account
by Dr Miklos Nyiszli; |
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The forced-draught installation
supplied by Messrs Topf & Sons was removed after many problems
caused by the motors overheating, and natural draught proved to be
perfectly adequate. The three rooms thus freed (though still
designated “Motorraum”) were allocated to new functions [according
to Henryk Tauber — see Part III, Chapter 3]. One became the room of
the Chief Capo of the Krematorien and the other two were converted
into a shower room (with a dozen showers) for the
Sonderkommando; |
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The waste incinerator is shifted
slightly to occupy a more central position than that originally
planned; |
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The creation of two yards.
enclosed by walls about one meter high. According to former
Sonderkommando members, the northeast yard (dimensions: 6 m by 12 m)
was used to store various personal documents brought by the victims,
“waste” of no market value to the SS, before it was burned in the
waste incinerator. In 1944, this yard was a covered lean-to roof
extending from northeast roof of the north wing of Krematorium II,
to protect these papers from the rain. In addition, the east window
of the incinerator room was made bigger to accelerate the process of
feeding the “waste” from the yard to the incinerator. The second
yard, to the south, (dimensions 2.5 m by 8 m) was used to contain
the human ashes from the furnaces (the clinker from the firebox side
of the furnaces was dumped on the north side, near the coke
store); |
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Schnitt/ Section E-f:
copy without change of the longitudinal section of the basemented
part, as per drawing 1174. The encroaching part of the corpse chute
is maintained on this section, whereas it no longer exists on the
basement plan; |
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Süd Ansicht, Schnitt
I-J/ South elevation, section I J: copy of drawing 1173 (itself
derived from the south elevation of drawing 936) with the following
additions: |
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Construction, perpendicular to
the west side of the Krematorium of a wall to keep access to the
corpse chute clear by holding back the earth bank covering the roof
of Leichenkeller 2; |
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Erection of the ventilation and
air extraction chimneys for Leichenkeller 1 and 2, the furnace room
and the dissecting room/ laboratory/ washing room complex. In actual
fact, after having been built according to drawing 2197
[photographic proof: PMO neg. no. 20995/497] these chimneys
were later increased in height [photographic proof: PMO neg. no.
20995/460 and -/504 for Kr II and 20995/507 for Kr
III]. |
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Construction of the south yard
for human ashes, below the last two double windows at the south end
the furnace room; |
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Werksatz / Roof frame:
taken from drawing 980 without modification except that the detail
is drawn for the western half of Krematorium II only; |
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Nord Ansicht / North
elevation: copy of the north elevation of drawing 936 with the north
east enclosed "waste paper" yard and the beginning of the roof of
Leichenkeller 2; |
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Ost Ansicht / East
elevation: copy of the east elevation on drawing 936 with the two
new enclosed yards. |
