If you are considering a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, you have probably already heard of the Hair Room.
Located in Block No. 4, it is one of the most emblematic and touching places in the entire Auschwitz museum-camp.
This room has a very strong symbolic value, and the emotional impact of those who see with their own eyes that hair always is very strong: it is one of the mechanisms through which the SS prevailed over the inmates.
In fact, as soon as they arrived at the camp, the Nazis cut the hair not only of the men, but also of the women. If we add to this the deprivation of private property and the elimination of even the name, we can guess that the haircut was part of a logic of depersonalization of the detainee.
But there is more, because hair was used in German industries and beyond. As you continue reading the article you will know the whole story related to this room.
One moment! Before going any further, let me give you a piece of advice: in order not to miss anything during your visit, it is strongly suggested to book a visit accompanied by an experienced guide! Only in this way, room by room you will have a complete overview and be privy to everything that happened inside the Auschwitz camp! If this camp is the ultimate testimony to Remembrance, visiting it will mean developing a truly profound awareness! You can book the option that is right for you here on our website.
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Auschwitz Hair Room: brief history
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Whatever the fate of those deported to Auschwitz, their hair was cut, even of those who were immediately led to the gas chambers.
Of course, special attention was paid to women because, in addition to being offered more hair, through this practice they underwent an action aimed at reducing their femininity.
The Nazis used hair in the textile industry, in fact they sold it by the kilogram: it was used to make blankets, socks, ropes, bomb ignition mechanisms, pillows and mattresses.
After liberating the camp, the Soviets found large stocks of preserved hair, ready to be sent to industries.
The huge quantity found gave a sense of the extent of Nazi atrocities against the Jewish people and, more generally, all prisoners. This is also why it was decided to preserve them and, indeed, create a room especially for them, so that even today visitors can realize what happened.
How to visit the Hair Room
In Block 4 you will be able to see a trellis woven with human hair: when the Soviets arrived, in fact, several bags filled with hair belonging to the inmates were found: they were ready to be sent to German firms for various productions.
After several analyses, traces of prussic acid were found, namely that contained in Ziklon B gas, used in the gas chambers.
This room, like every part of the museum-camp, will also be most striking if you are accompanied by an experienced guide during your visit; in fact, in this way, anyone can receive very comprehensive information about each block as they observe with their own eyes what Auschwitz has to show. Click here to learn more.
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.
Auschwitz Hair Room: Frequently Asked Questions
The Hair Room bears witness to one of the many anguish endured by Auschwitz prisoners. With this part of the memorial, moreover, it shows how the Nazis exploited every aspect of the deportees’ captivity: from teeth to hair, from manpower to personal belongings…every aspect of the prisoner was to be used as a function of the war effort. Finally, the Hair Room shows all those actions designed to dehumanize the prisoners inside the concentration and extermination camp.
Yes, it is possible to visit it. It is located in Block 4, bearing witness to the extermination. You can also see a pylon made from the hair of prisoners.
The Nazis collected hair because they used it in the war and textile industries. Hair, in fact, was used to make pillows, mattresses, ropes, socks, fuses to trigger bombs, and much more. But the cutting of hair was also studied with a view to depersonalizing and dehumanizing the prisoner.
Yes, the room is accessible with a guided tour and, indeed, it is strongly recommended to book one to visit Auschwitz. This is because the whole visit will be much more enriching and in-depth with the help of an experienced guide, and particularly in this block of the memorial you can learn a great deal and experience the atmosphere of the camp with great participation.
Conclusions
So here we have come to the concluding part of our article. We have delved together into the topic of hair at Auschwitz and I have told you about the significance of the Hair Room.
We learned about the reasons why the Nazis cut the hair of the inmates, even when they were directed directly to the gas chambers.
I have finally answered the most frequently asked questions; however, if you have any others, all you have to do is leave a comment below.
As you have undoubtedly realized, a visit to Europe’s largest concentration camp is an unparalleled opportunity for growth and reflection; however, in order to connect each place in the camp to the proper historical reconstruction, I strongly recommend that you engage the services of an experienced guide so that you do not miss a single cue from your visit.
Visiting Auschwitz is in some ways a duty, but it is above all an incredible opportunity not to forget, to learn, to remember and to pass on memory. It is necessary to continue to do so because, as Hannah Arendt said, “The actions were monstrous, but those who did them were almost normal, neither demonic nor monstrous.”
Ticket to Auschwitz-Birkenau (skip the line)
Purchase online. Choose your preferred time. Visit the prisoner barracks, infamous gas chambers and crematoria on your own.
You can cancel for free up to the day before your visit.
