Gas Chamber
Controversy

Why the Germans Destroyed the Crematoria but left the "Gas Chambers" Intact

By Andrew Allen

The names, ranks, time cards and duties of the persons building the chambers, along with signed blueprints, signed change-work orders and even photographs of the individual SS personnel working on the site were left by the Germans. From this mass of paper we know who did what when. This clear, detailed and complete documentary record could have been destroyed with a match. It wasn't.

It is also clear that the destruction focused on crematorium and ovens, not on the rooms which are claimed to have been gas chambers. At Auschwitz/Birkenau all crematorium facilities were dismantled prior to Soviet liberation but not the actual "gas chambers" themselves. The Main Camp gas chamber rooms at Krema I and Block 11 were 100% intact on January 27,1945, the date Soviets occupied the Camp.

The two most important gas chambers of the entire Holocaust Myth are Leichenkeller 1 of Krema II and Leichenkeller 1 of Krema III. Leichenkeller 1 of Krema II was/is almost entirely complete, with its floor and walls untouched. The roof consisting of two layers of waterproofing and a thick concrete slab roof have partially fallen into the room below. About 35% of the room is still easily accessible. Leichenkeller 1 of Krema III was also left in a highly "inspectable" state, but with its roof completely dropped.

On the other hand, the crematoria sections of Krema II and III have been demolished down to the floor of the second level. All traces of crematorium have been removed except for the rail tracks. Even the chimneys have been reduced to scattered bricks.

It is worth noting that the explosions which brought down the crematoria structures and damaged the alleged gas chambers occurred just hours before the Germans abandoned Birkenau, again highlighting the hasty nature of the German's departure. Why leave a clear paper trail and much of the actual gaschambers themselves but remove all traces of crematoria? It doesn't make sense from an Exterminationist view. What's the Revisionist view?

The Germans were not destroying evidence of gas chambers but were destroying evidence of crematoria. Why?

Majdanek or, to be precise, the propaganda use that the Majdanek crematoria "ovens" were put to by the Soviets after their capture July 24, 1944. Majdanek Camp was captured complete, without any dismantling of its facilities. Martin Gilbert writes in his compendium of Holocaust myths, fairy tales and occasional truths The Holocaust:

"Also on July 24, Soviet forces entered Majdanek. War correspondents from all the Allied armies gazed in horror at gas-chambers, crematoria, and the charred remains of human beings. Photographs of these remains were published throughout the Allied world." (p. 711)

The Soviets and Allies, then, made major propaganda use of the crematorium ovens or "gas ovens" as they were sometimes called then. What is most likely to have happened next was that an order went out "from Berlin" in late September or October saying in effect: "Avoid leaving evidence of crematorium." At Auschwitz Main Camp, Krema I already had its ovens and chimney removed in 1943 so the building was ignored. Block 11 was never a crematoria and was ignored. The mass of paperwork and plans was simply overlooked. At Birkenau, Kremas IV and V were not in use and were the first to be dismantled in October 1944.

As an aside, an order to dismantle the crematorium may be the basis of the persistent camp rumors of "an order to end the killing," which was allegedly issued at this time. No order to "end the killing" has been found despite a good deal of searching. Perhaps an "order to demolish" will be.

The retreating Germans did destroy "evidence" as they left Auschwitz/Birkenau but it was the crematoria related evidence which had provided powerful fodder for Soviet propaganda. The actual pattern destruction; i.e. what was destroyed and what was ignored and left, fully supports the Revisionist thesis.