Are you planning a visit to Auschwitz and want to be prepared to the best of your ability? You are just in the right place!
With this article and the others you can read on our site you will find all the information you need! As you continue reading you will discover the symbolic importance of the barbed wire at Auschwitz-Birkenau, why and how it was used.
Quite evident is its psychological impact on the prisoners who, in addition to the numerous anguish and terror inflicted by the SS, also had to come to terms with the sense of imprisonment that the barbed wire expressed.
But before we go any further, let me give you a valuable piece of advice: to ensure a truly complete and thorough visit, it would be important for you to reserve priority access with an experienced guide. Only in this way can you avoid the endless lines at the museum entrance and, most importantly, be made aware of any historical insights during the visit.
Ticket to Auschwitz-Birkenau (skip the line)
Purchase online. Choose the time of your choice. Visit the prisoner barracks, infamous gas chambers and crematoria on your own.
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Table of Contents
Only by visiting Auschwitz can you symbolically “sever the barbed wire” and grasp the testimony shouted from the silent streets of the camp!
History of barbed wire in the Concentration Camps
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Being for all intents and purposes a prison, Auschwitz was equipped with guard towers, pylons and barbed wire.
The barbed wire was introduced to confine the camp and prevent prisoners from escaping, which, in fact, succeeded in very few.
The camp boundary was marked by barbed wire: there was a fence around Birkenau and even two around Auschwitz. They were not simple barriers, but were electrified with very high voltage: one only had to touch them to be electrocuted to death.
Climbing over them to attempt escape was therefore impossible, which plunged the prisoners deeper into despair.
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Already getting close was very difficult, considering the constant SS guard, yet a few internees tried but, according to some accounts, it was mostly for the purpose of suicide.
Considering the difficult job of detaching any corpses from the fence, soldiers who shot prisoners who approached the fence received a reward.
This sometimes gave way to atrocious practices: soldiers on guard duty would force prisoners to approach the perimeter and then eliminate them in hopes of getting a promotion.
Ticket to Auschwitz-Birkenau (skip the line)
Purchase online. Choose the time of your choice. Visit the prisoner barracks, infamous gas chambers and crematoria on your own.
You can cancel for free up to the day before your visit.
The barbed wire in historical memory
Barbed wire is directly connected to Auschwitz in terms of historical memory, becoming one of its main symbols.
It has become an icon of that inhumane imprisonment and the entire Holocaust. Several former prisoners, in their testimony, spoke of what that barbed wire and electrified fence represented, from Primo Levi to Terracina and beyond.
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At Auschwitz-Birkenau , part of the fence and barbed wire is still clearly visible.
In addition, several exhibitions have been opened that have barbed wire as their theme: of course, that of Auschwitz, and more generally of the Lagers, always plays a prominent role.
Examples include the “Europe of Barbed Wire” exhibition in Florence, the Barbed Wire Museum in Kansas, or other temporary exhibitions such as the one focusing on barbed wire in the Lagers organized in Brescia for Memorial Day 2024.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can still see the perimeter of Auschwitz-Birkenau surrounded by the barbed wire fence.
The electrified barbed wire served to prevent prisoner escapes and maintain the strict separation the different sections of the camp. The presence of electrified fences also increased control and surveillance by the SS.
First and foremost, the barbed wire served to demarcate the concentration camp and to prevent possible prisoner escapes. In addition to this, it was part of all those sets of practices designed to belittle the prisoner and to instill a constant sense of distress. The purpose was to dehumanize the prisoner by reminding him at all times that there was no chance of salvation.
In the collective imagination, Auschwitz is often represented by barbed wire, barracks and crematoria. This symbol evokes the atrocities committed and serves as a warning for future generations.
Conclusions
Here we have come to the end of our article. We have seen togetherthe story behind the fence and barbed wire at Auschwitz, its symbolic significance and the impact it had on the prisoners.
Finally, I have answered the most frequently asked questions related to the topic of Auschwitz barbed wire; however, please feel free to leave a comment below should you have any other curiosities.
In conclusion, I want to remind you of the importance of reserving an entrance with an experienced guide: only in this way will you be able to grasp every nuance of your visit and have a truly profound and enriching experience by fully immersing yourself in the teaching that Auschwitz has to offer.
Ticket to Auschwitz-Birkenau (skip the line)
Purchase online. Choose the time of your choice. Visit the prisoner barracks, infamous gas chambers and crematoria on your own.
You can cancel for free up to the day before your visit.
Cover photo: ID 96267606 | Arbeit Macht Frei © Szymon Kaczmarczyk | Dreamstime.com
