4) The proximity of industrial plants was decisive for the location of the camp in the Upper Silesia region
Upper Silesian industry had no influence on the location of the camp whatsoever. Both at the moment of making the decision on establishing KL Auschwitz as well as for the first months of its functioning, no concept was developed for employing the prisoners incarcerated within its premises, even if it was supposed to constitute the biggest of all existing camps.
Prisoners from the first transports were used mainly for different works aimed at preparing camp infrastructure for the arrival of new prisoners. Their small part found employment during the creation of the SS DAW (Deutsche Ausruestungswerke – German Equipment Plant) concern in the area adjacent to the camp as well as during gravel extraction.
Mass employment of KL Auschwitz prisoners by German industrial concerns and companies from Upper Silesia region as well as in the established Camp Agricultural Farms crystalized only in the later period and was connected with constantly changing economic and military condition of the Third Reich.
5) Auschwitz became the biggest concentration camp only when the extermination of Jews began
First designs of KL Auschwitz were developed after the local vision conducted on April 18th-19th 1940 with the participation of Rudolf Höss, at that time probably already unofficially appointed camp commandant, Friedrich Seidler, delegate of Concentration Camps Inspectorate and August Schlachter, Head of the newly established Construction Department of KL Auschwitz. The area on which the camp was supposed to be established was impressive taking into consideration the reality at that time. While the already existing Dachau or Sachsenhausen camps had the surface of ca. 10-12 hectares, the surface of Auschwitz was supposed to be nearly three times bigger.
Camp structure was supposed to be based on several dozen brick and mortar buildings, including 4 large-volume ones and several dozen wooden barracks. Such surface was not a coincidence. KL Auschwitz was planned as the biggest camp taking into consideration not only its territory, but also the number of incarcerated prisoners. Already in May 1940, first calculations referring to the capacity of 30 000 prisoners were made.