Zentralsauna, Processing facility in Auschwitz II-Birkenau, Poland
Zentralsauna is a processing building at Auschwitz II-Birkenau with multiple rooms where new arrivals underwent registration and mandatory disinfection upon entry to the camp. The structure was designed as part of the systematic intake procedure that every prisoner had to go through before assignment to barracks.
The building was constructed in 1943 to process the incoming flow of prisoners at the camp. It reflects the organized planning and systematic procedures that characterize how the facility functioned.
The Zentralsauna remains a testament to the systematic dehumanization processes implemented during World War II, now serving as an educational site for visitors.
The building is open to visitors during regular museum hours and can be viewed independently or through guided tours. The layout of the rooms allows visitors to follow the sequence of procedures that took place there.
The building retains original interior spaces including registration areas, shower facilities, and clothing rooms that visitors can still walk through today. These surviving rooms provide a tangible sense of how this initial stage of the camp experience functioned in practice.
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