Why was Auschwitz not destroyed by the Nazis to hide evidence, but camps like Treblinka and Westerbork were?
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Some places were destroyed to hide the evidence when it was apparent to the Germans the war was lost. However things were moving fast in the final days of the war and they didn’t have time to destroy everything before they were overtaken by the U.S. or Soviet military.
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It was the Russians who were heading towards Auschwitz and the Nazis were really scared of them so a lot of them took off before they’d destroyed a lot of evidence. Belsen was burned as a hygiene measure as well as because of the general awfulness of the place. Auschwitz was a death factory and most died in the gas chambers within hours of arrival. Belsen was supposed to be a work camp and more and more people were sent there and left as things become more chaotic. It was a British occupation force decision to burn it as cholera and other diseases were rife. It was the decision of the Soviet occupation force to keep Auschwitz standing
The extermination camps built latterly like Treblinka and Sobibor were smaller by a huge degree and some of the final destruction was carried out by the Soviets.
Basically, time. There wasn’t enough time to destroy everything because it was massive. I have visited and it was a very somber day. In a way, I thank Gad it wasn’t destroyed. We need that physical reminder that this really happened. I still feel a deep and thorough sense of sadness and loss when I think about the magnitude of how many souls were lost. Everyone who can should visit.
History is written by the victor, and monuments are the same way. Who rebuilt and still maintains Auschwitz? Why? Who is providing tours? For what purpose? In this case, questions are far more illuminating than a simple answer.
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