The existence of a canteen does not seem to be anything special. In fact, even this place reveals many secrets that we want to share with the world. Some things have to be seen with our own eyes. What we are able to tell you is just a small glimpse of the events that took place in this cantina.
What was the cantina?
The social and entertainment building for the SS crew was constructed in late 1941 and early 1942 by forced labor of Auschwitz prisoners. Construction began in the fall of 1941 and the first party was held in March 1942. The building occupied 18,000 m3. The main hall had about 1,200 m2.
It was one large social, entertainment and food center for the SS crew and their families. It is the only such large surviving building of its kind in Europe.
It is located 450 meters from the camp gate, 100 meters from the fence. The prisoners worked in the kitchen, in the hall, and forcibly entertained the SS men by presenting skits and participating in boxing matches.
What was the role of the canteen?
In the canteen, SS men unwound their work in the camp by organizing parties, concerts and dance evenings. Some of them stayed there with their wives and children. The recollections of one of them have survived, of how the transports were accompanied by an unpleasant smell – a testimony to the dehumanization of the camp personnel and their families.
The Ovitz family from Transylvania, in which seven of the ten siblings were dwarfs, arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944. They immediately caught the attention of Josef Mengele. The day before an important ceremony in the canteen, Mengele ordered the Ovitzes to make up, dress up, wear jewelry and perfume themselves. When they stood on stage, Mengele had them strip naked and for two hours with a wooden pointer explained the rules of inheritance to the audience. There was even a cameraman with a camera in the hall and he filmed everything. In the eyes of the German guests, the show was a great success.