In this special day of 76th anniversary of the first transport of Poles to KL Auschwitz, on the National Day of Memory about Victims of German Nazi Concentration and Death camps, in the office of our Foundation, took place a presentation of never shown before document regarding the first transport of Poles to KL Auschwitz, which is in possession of our Foundation.
Counting four pages document is “Fahrplananordnugn nr 571 fur einen Sonderzug von Tarnow nach Auschwitz und einen Leerzug zuruck 14 juni 1940“
(schedule of special train from Tarnów to Auschwitz and sending back empty set from Auschwitz to Tarnów)
Original document regarding the first transport of Poles from prison in Tarnów to the camp in Auschwitz on the day 14th of June 1940. As the ordering person there is „Kommandeur der Sicherheitspolizei u des SD im Distrikt Krakau”
Nowaday there are two official original documents existing from the time, that is list of prisoners from prison in Tarnów and list of prisoners arrived in Auschwitz. Document presented on this day both in our office and at the church in Harmęże, is a sole one and only document showing the whole transport, especially its duration from the occupant point of view. From the document we can read that it was a set with class 3 wagons, that it left from Tarnów 10:13 AM, and it arrived in Auschwitz at 15:10 PM. In Auschwitz it spent 3 hours, and then left empty back to Tarnów.
This document, issued by Generaldirektion der Ostbahn in Krakau on the day 11th of June 1940 with description „save to 10.X.1940” is stamped by train station Krakow Mydlniki, where it was delivered 12th of June 1940.
Trains with class 3 wagonspociąg z wagonami klasy 3-ciej
Route Tarnow – Krakau – Trzebinia – Auschwitz
Max velocity 60 km/h
Weight of the set 500 ton
Return route Auschwitz – Trzebinia – Krakau – Tarnow
Weight of empty set 400 ton
Departure Tarnów 10.13
Arrival Cracow main station 12.38 departure 12.42 (train had a 4 minute stop)
Arrival in Auschwitz 15.10
Departure of empty set from Auschwitz 18.10 (in Auschwitz it had a 3 hour stop)
Return of empty set to Tarnów 23.02
Our document is third, unknown yet source material about this event. This planned in details, issued few days before transport schedule of special train show how precise was the Nazi system in planning and executing crimes on Poles. Repressions, terror, constant bugging of our nation were planned in advance and prepared.
This document has been obtained from a private person about a year ago, but with the presentation we waited for the right moment, that is why we chose today’s anniversary, which is also National Day of Memory about Victims of German Nazi Concentration and Death Camps.
