that the SS men carried out the prisoners in the camp in this way, it is also unlikely that this practice of escorting prisoners was the norm. It must be presumed that the guards still preferred to supervise the escorted prisoners and, in most cases, led them ahead. And they certainly had to keep a close eye on the ranks of prisoners when marching to and from work in the unfenced area (the commandos were escorted by several SS men walking in front, behind and on either side of the column). It was impossible, as we see in episode 3, that Lali with Leon could disengage from the ranks and remain far behind.
Two additional noteworthy irregularities capture one's attention in the scenes depicting Lali's movements around the camp. Firstly, the gates leading to the successive sections of Birkenau are usually wide opened and accessible, and Lali passes through them almost unchecked despite carrying a bag on his shoulder that could conceivably contain secret messages or other illicit objects. Indeed, the gates to the different sections of the camp were closed, and the guard on duty should search the prisoner. Especially if the prisoner was carrying some bundle, bag, or toolbox, they were more subject to a thorough inspection. Furthermore, the permits to move within the camp and access the various sectors were also checked (meanwhile, Lali enters the women's camp without showing them, e.g. in episode 2). Such a permit or pass was issued to prisoners whose entry into a specific section was related to their daily responsibilities or particular tasks performed in that area. It is, therefore, impossible for Lali to visit Gita in her barracks at his convenience. It is doubtful that he would have had the opportunity to enter the women's camp on a regular basis at all - the women's camp had its own Aufnahmekomando, which included female prisoners tattooing new arrivals (as did Auschwitz I, by the way, so it is unlikely that Lali would have had to tattoo prisoners in all the camps of the Auschwitz complex, as we see in the series).
Additionally, as previously mentioned, Lali typically only moves around the camp with Baretzki and occasionally with another prisoner who does tattoos. He rarely walks in a straight line with the other prisoners, almost as if he doesn't belong to any commando.
The book review has already discussed the issue of presenting Lali as not connected to any particular working group. It should be recalled that Ludovit Eisenberg was a member of the commando in charge of registering newly arrived prisoners (Politische Abteilung Aufnahmekommando) of the men's camp in Birkenau, which numbered between a dozen and about 30 prisoners (in the summer of 1944) - but this is something the reader of the book will not learn. The series creators were aware of the inadequacies of Morris' portrayal of this aspect. Their commentary, published on the Onet.pl platform reads: Many of the inaccuracies highlighted in the novel have been corrected and, as this is a drama series for plot purposes, other elements have also been modified. An example is the allegation against the novel, in which Lali was supposed to be presented as the only tattooist in Auschwitz, disregarding the fact that there were other tattooists. In the televised narrative, we are presented with the opportunity to depict numerous tattoo artists tattooing the arms (sic!) of others.
Contrary to the above assertions, the series reproduces the same mistake, showing Lali somewhat isolated from the camp structure. Although the background scenes show other inmates tattooing the newcomers, there is no evidence of any association between Lali and them. He moves around the camp generally without companions and lives alone in an empty barrack in the BIIe section (later known as the Zigeunerlager, a family camp for Roma), another severe error copied directly from the book. Further misleading here is the information Baretzki gives to Lali after he has been designated as a tattooist, escorted to the BIIe section into a private room in an empty barracks. When Lali inquires about sleeping in his old barracks, Baretzki informs him that he is now under the SS employ and will requide protection (“You are working for the SS now. You will need protection, trust me” (episode 1). The viewer's assumptions that Lali must be protected from other prisoners due to his role are confirmed in the scene where he comes to his assigned barracks. There, he encounters distrust and hostility from his former peers, one of whom even calls him a "Nazi dog" (It’s the Nazis’ new dog). This subplot suggests that prisoners assigned to work related to the camp's operations were essentially seen as German collaborators. This is an exceptionally unfair and harmful accusation.
Presenting the individual, highly subjective perspective of a person affected by survivor's guilt, who grapples with feelings of guilt and believes that the price for his life was moral compromises and the suffering, even the lives, of other people, is justifiable in the context of a story about an Auschwitz survivor. The creators of the series have managed to do this quite well. However, transferring such a perspective to the entire prisoner community and asserting that those directed to work in the camp office (and other work units "cooperating" with the SS) faced ostracism from fellow prisoners and were seen as collaborators is not true. On the contrary, in the prisoner community, such work was sought after, and inmates understood that it not only increased their chances of survival but also offered opportunities to help others. Being acquainted with a member of a good work nitu was considered valuable, and the assessment of the attitudes of prisoners performing various functions always depended on their behavior towards their comrades.
However, the most striking suggestion here is that, henceforth, the SS men were not only no longer the main source of danger for Lali, but they even became the guarantors of his safety in the camp, almost formally. This reversal of roles is not only an example of relativization and a lack of understanding of the social and organizational realities of KL Auschwitz, but it is also a blatant untruth. Prisoners employed in the Aufnahmekommando (including prisoners employed in other camp offices in direct contact with the SS) were not subject to any special protection by the camp authorities. They only had slightly better conditions for daily life, e.g. due to regular contact with crew members, they had to maintain basic hygiene, so they washed regularly, wore clean striped uniforms, and lived in segregated barracks to limit their contact with other prisoners (working in the external commands). However, this was not out of concern for them, but merely to reduce the risk of transmission of lice and infectious diseases from prisoners to SS garrison members. This alone made them less likely than others to die from disease. Given they typically worked indoors and their job was less physically demanding than heavy manual labour, they were in better physical condition. Finally, because of their specialised skills and work - which required a specific competence and was helpful in the camp - these prisoners were not as subject to aggression, especially from the Kapo and other functionary prisoners.