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Bauleitung drawing 1301
[PMO file BW 310/10, no. no. 20922/3] |
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Entwurf für das Krematorium / Project for the crematorium
Fundamentplan / Foundation plan
Krematorium: Scale 1: 100
[Krematorium II of Birkenau POW camp. BW 30] |
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[This is the first drawing of Birkenau Krematorium II to hear the official worksite (BauWerk) number attributed by the Bauleitung: BW 30. This reference “BW 30”, henceforth used to designate Krematorium II, was a later hand written addition to the identification block]
Drawn on 8/5/42 by SS Sergeant Ulmer,
checked on 8/5/42 by SS Second Lieutenant Dejaco
and SS Sergeant Ertl,
and approved on 8/5/42 by SS Captain Bischoff |
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Translation of inscriptions
(left to right and top to bottom) |
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Sämtlich eirgeschriebere Masse sind Robbaumasse und sind vor Baubeginn zu überprüfen. Unstimmigkeiten sind sofort zu melden! / All dimensions given are raw figures and are to be checked before work begins. Any discrepancies are to be reported immediately! |
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Leichenkeller 2 |
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Aussparung für die Kanalisation (Höhenmaße) / Spaces for drains (levels) |
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Siehe Schnitt … (?) Entluftungsanlage Zeichnung Nr 1174 / See cross section … (?) air extraction installation drawing 1174 |
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Leichenkeller 3 |
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Vorraum/ Vestibule |
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Leichenkeller 1 |
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SIEHE DECKBLATT ZEICHNUNG NR 1311! / SEE CORRECTION SHEET —
DRAWING 1311! |
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Fundament vertiefung unter den Rauchkanalen 20 cm / Foundation deepened under
smoke flues — 20cm |
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Aussparung für die Rauchkanalen / Spaces for smoke flues |
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Ofenfundamente Siehe Fundamentplan der Firma Topf / Furnace foundations — see foundation drawing by Messrs Topf |
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Nicht unterkellerter Teil / Part without basement |
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Müllverbreuusgsofen nach Angabe des Fa Topf / waste incinerator according to Messrs Topf data |
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Gewachsener Boden / Natural soil |
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Kaminfundament, Ausmaße nach statischer Berechnung and Bodeublastungsprobe [OK Kaminfundament / Chimney foundations, dimensions according to static calculations and soil resistance test [OK(?) chimney foundation] |
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Klärgrube / Cesspit |
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Fundament vertiefung unter der Klärgrube / Deeper foundations under the cesspit |
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Drawing 1301 of 8/5/42 is above all a technical drawing, the logical sequel to 932. The number on the identification block corresponds to the date written on it. Despite the fact that about 360 drawings had been produced since the “930 series” for the new Krematorium at the main camp, the Bauleitung Drawing Office still used the old title from this series, “Entwurf für das Krematorium”, on this drawing.
Ertl, then SS Sergeant, later to be promoted Second Lieutenant, whose signature appears alongside that of Dejaco on this drawing, checked it in his capacity as construction engineer and head of the Bauleitung construction section (Hochbauabteiling). Dejaco was an architect and head of the Drawing Office. He decided the layout of the rooms in the Krematorium, but other members of the Bauleitung, each according so his specialty, made the technical calculations.
There are three essentially distinct drainage systems in drawing 932: |
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The western system collects waste water from Leichenkeller 1, 2, and 3. the corridor / vestibule and the western part of the ground floor; |
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The eastern system collects waste water from the furnace room and its annexes, on the ground floor; |
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The northern system collects waste water from the north wing housing the waste incinerator. |
The three systems lead to three different connections to the external sewers.
On drawing 1301, the western, eastern and northern systems are joined together and lead to a common collector in the west, which in turn leads to the “Königsgrabe” [King’s ditch], running to the southwest of Krematorium II. The drainage systems are in fact not explicitly shown on drawing 1301, but the pattern can be deduced from the spaces in the foundations left for the passage of drainpipes. The drainage system drawing itself is 1300.
Drawing 1301 is a faithful copy of 932, except for the modifications to the drainage system. As with 932, there appears to be no indication of the future criminal role of Krematorium II, except that in the southern wall of Leichenkeller 1 there is a gap that did not appear on 932, which appears to indicate that as early as May 1942 there was the intention to make the drainage of this room separate from the rest of the system, with the wastewater being evacuated towards the south.
After a study by the constructors. Huta of Kattowitz, the foundations were laid as shown on drawing 1301, except for the concrete floors of Leichenkeller 1 and 2, which were made very much thicker, eliminating the need for special foundations for the pillars supporting the roofs (the 14 cm thick floor and 60 cm pillar bases were evened out to a 40 cm layer of concrete, no doubt to make it easier to damp proof these rooms against the Birkenau groundwater. |
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