The State Museum Of Auschwitz-Birkenau & Remember.Org Present

Birkenau Russian Graveyard for POW's

This Birkenau Russian Graveyard is where many of about 15,000 Soviet POWs who were brought to Auschwitz are buried, only 92 remained alive at the last roll call. Out of the first 10,000 brought to work in 1941, 9,000 died in the first 6 months.

In the video, this field beyond the monument is where some 10,000 Soviet prisoners of war are buried.

Birkenau Russian Graveyard - 15,000 Soviet POWs brought to Auschwitz, only 92 alive at the last roll call
Birkenau Russian Graveyard - POWs

About 15,000 Soviet POWs who were brought to Auschwitz, only 92 remained alive at the last roll call.

Out of the first 10,000 brought to work in 1941, 9,000 died in the first 6 months.

This field beyond the monument is where some 10,000 Soviet prisoners of war are buried, the Birkenau Russian Graveyard.

The Nazis were very hard on Russian POW’s, many of whom were so starved they resorted to cannibalism.

The Nazis treated the Soviet POW’S more horribly than troops of any other nationality,
Hitler having deemed the war a racial struggle for survival over the Slavs and Communism.

Often POW’s would be surrounded by barbed wire and left to their own resources with no food, water or housing.

At first, the Soviet POWs were held in a separate part of the camp (Auschwitz I).

Later, the SS transferred the Soviet POWs to Auschwitz II Birkenau.

Wladyslaw Siwek
Arrival of POW’S. They were starved almost to the breaking point and in some instances started eating each other.

Russian POWs drawing by survivor Wladyslaw Siwek
Reproduction courtesy of Auschwitz Museum Archive, 1980

All photos and videos are Copyright Alan Jacobs and Remember.org.