Report by Alfred Wetzler and Rudolf Vrba, two Escapees from Auschwitz (Late April 1944)

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In the middle of March 1944 a smaller group of Benzburg Jews, who had been found in hiding, arrived. We learned from them that many Polish Jews had escaped to Slovakia and from there to Hungary, and that these had been helped by Jews still living in Slovakia.

After the extermination of the Teresin Jews, no reinforcements arrived until 15 March. As a consequence, the number at the camp was substantially reduced, for which reason all men arriving in later transports, mostly Dutch Jews, were assigned to the camp. We had just learned of the arrival of large Greek Jewish transports when we left the camp on 7 April 1944.

15. Organization and Population of the Birkenau Camp, April 1944.

The Birkenau camp consists of three sections (see plan no. 3) At the present time, only sections I and II are surrounded by the inner guard belt, as section III is still in the process of building and is not inhabited.

When we left Birkenau at the beginning of April 1944, the number of inmates of the camp was as follows:

Place	Slovak Jews	Other Jews	Gentiles	Remarks
I Section	c. 300	c. 7000	c. 6000	In addition to 300 Slovak girls, 100 girls are employed in the staff building.
Women's reception centers Ia and Ib
II Section
a. Quarantine camp	2	c. 200	c. 800	Dr. Endre Mueller from Podolinec, one of the two Slovak Jews, is block-inspector.
b.Camp of the [sic]	c. 3500			With six months quarantine.
c. Not occupied at present
d. Staff camp	c. 58	c. 4000	c. 6000
e. Gypsy camp			c. 4500	Remnant of 16,000 Gypsies. They are not performing labor and are dying out quickly.
f. Hospital	6	c. 1000	c. 500	The six Slovak Jews are engaged in hospital administration.*
g. [Shown on plan, but not accounted for.]

* Number	Name	Place of Origin	Duties
36,832	Walter Spitzer	Nemsova	Block inspector
29,867	Josef Neumann	Snina	"Capo" of corpses
44,989	Josef Zelmanovics	Snina	Personnel
32,407	Lajos Eisenstaedter	Korompa	Tattooer
30,049	Lajos Solmann	Kezmarok	Clerk
	Chaim Katz	Snina	Personnel