himmler ordered — never came to fruition.he end of the gassing in november1944, but ordered the end of the gassing in november 1944, but the previous— in november 1944, but the previous month, october, 40,000 people _ previous month, october, 40,000 people exterminated here. the apparatus of killing wasn't completely destroyed until the night _ completely destroyed until the night of— completely destroyed until the night of 25—26 january, so the shootings _ night of 25—26 january, so the shootings and killings went right— shootings and killings went right up until the bitter end when — right up until the bitter end when the russians turned up on the afternoon of 27 january. so yes, _ the afternoon of 27 january. so yes, it's — the afternoon of 27 january. so yes, it's incredible, really, you— yes, it's incredible, really, you think_ yes, it's incredible, really, you think the germans were so obviously— you think the germans were so obviously losing, the whole third — obviously losing, the whole third reich was crumbling to no

. >> one possible explanation is that the children were saved by hitler's deputy heinrich himmler 'sers cease operations in a futile attempt to cover up the war crimes before abandoning auschwitz. the germans blew up crematorium three. only crematorium one remains intact. >> oh god. mostly, i thought of children. my mother was a child survivor and i thought how many children were in here that did not survive like my mother? it's strange. the gas chamber or whatever, it's just a space. you know that the stains of the walls, what the history of that is, but to turn the corner and see where they burned the bodies, that's been horrible. >> 80 years on, the third world seems closer than ever. >> with the right set of circumstances -- there's a lot of hate in this world -- and people are capable of doing horrible things and i don't think that we have passed that point in our humanity that this is an impossibility. >> we are here to honor them and if they can see us to say we came back here, don't be mad at me we remember you -- at me, we remember you. we continue to walk with the grief bes

and really it was the arrival of himmler injuly i942 — the arrival of himmler injuly 1942.d already started building gas chambers here and instruments of extermination, but it— instruments of extermination, but it wasn't really until himmler came here that he decided _ himmler came here that he decided that actually we are going — decided that actually we are going to expand this camp massively and turn it into the monstrous beast it became. this old original barix block that was — old original barix block that was adapted, then birkenau and one of— was adapted, then birkenau and one of its— was adapted, then birkenau and one of its as well which fed the synthetic rubber factory, where — the synthetic rubber factory, where the prisoners worked as slave _ where the prisoners worked as slave labour. we where the prisoners worked as slave labour.— slave labour. we are waiting for the ceremony _ slave labour. we are waiting for the ceremony to - slave labour. we are waiting for the ceremony to start. . slave labour. we are waiting l for the ceremony to start. the dignitaries ar