Crematorium II, Gas chamber and crematorium in Auschwitz II-Birkenau, Poland.

Crematorium II was a gas chamber and crematorium at Auschwitz-Birkenau, built from August 1942 by Huta Hoch- und Tiefbau AG with eleven contractors. Its underground gas chamber measured 210 m² and was 2.41 m high, with a reinforced-concrete ceiling 22 cm thick, supported by seven pillars. Five triple cremation furnaces stood above, served by an electric lift.

Construction of Crematorium II began in August 1942, carried out by camp prisoners and eleven firms including Huta Hoch- und Tiefbau AG, AEG and J.A. Topf und Söhne. It was officially put into operation on 13 March 1943 after testing with 45 bodies; the first gassing followed on 14 March with 1,492 people from the Kraków ghetto. The facility was closed in October 1944, dismantled by the Sonderkommando, and partly blown up on 20 January 1945, seven days before the liberation of Auschwitz.

This facility now serves as a place of remembrance where visitors confront the historical reality of what occurred. The preserved remains help people understand and honor the memory of those who were killed.

Access is only by guided tour with trained staff who explain the facility and maintain respectful conditions. The underground rooms are cramped and dark, so visitors should wear sturdy shoes and prepare mentally for what they will see.

The gas chamber's ceiling was cast from 22 cm of reinforced concrete and covered with 45 cm of earth, supported by seven pillars. Zyklon B pellets were dropped through four openings near pillars 1, 3, 5 and 7. Fake shower heads inside kept victims unaware until the end.