Auschwitz/Birkenau – Canada

“Canada”

Jews were told to bring their essential belongings on the transport to “Relocation”. Immediately on unloading, these were taken away and sorted in large warehouses in a section of Birkenau nicknamed “Canada” because it was a place of abundance. After unloading their human victims, trains would be loaded with the possessions of earlier victims and sent back to Germany. These objects are often all that is left of their owners. They passed each other in opposite directions.

As late as 1980, many such objects were to be found in Berlin curio and antique shops, being the only passengers with a round trip ticket. The objects shown here were left behind when the Nazis burned Canada to the ground, lest its contents fall into the hands of the advancing Soviets.

© 1980, 1996 Alan Jacobs

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