Inside the Gas Chambers cover art

Inside the Gas Chambers

Eight Months in the Sonderkommando of Auschwitz

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Inside the Gas Chambers

By: Shlomo Venezia
Narrated by: Peter Noble
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About this listen

Slomo Venezia was born into a poor Jewish-Italian community living in Thessaloniki, Greece. At first, the occupying Italians protected his family; but when the Germans invaded, the Venezias were deported to Auschwitz. His mother and sisters disappeared on arrival, and he learned, at first with disbelief, that they had almost certainly been gassed. Given the chance to earn a little extra bread, he agreed to become a 'Sonderkommando', without realizing what this entailed. He soon found himself a member of the 'special unit' responsible for removing the corpses from the gas chambers and burning their bodies.

Dispassionately, he details the grim round of daily tasks, evokes the terror inspired by the man in charge of the crematoria, 'Angel of Death' Otto Moll, and recounts the attempts made by some of the prisoners to escape, including the revolt of October 1944.

It is usual to imagine that none of those who went into the gas chambers at Auschwitz ever emerged to tell their tale—but, as a member of a 'Sonderkommando', Shlomo Venezia was given this horrific privilege. He knew that, having witnessed the unspeakable, he in turn would probably be eliminated by the SS in case he ever told his tale. He survived: this is his story.

©2009 Polity Press (P)2022 Tantor 20th Century Military Modern War Heartfelt

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All stars
Most relevant
I’ve read a number of incredible works on the subject of the holocaust and most focus on the politics and the emotion of it, few focus much on the practicalities of the actual killing and body disposal process and the effect on those forced to be involved. This is a brutal account, expect to be completely horrified.

The frankness

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Nothing to dislike and such a good listen. The detail and the story are brilliant. Also the person narrating is spot on.

The detail and life.

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The one question out of many stood out about this account of having to work in the gas chambers….What Would You Have Done ? I’ve pondered this question throughout this harrowing story and came to the concconclusion that I’d do exactly what Shlomo done even just to stay alive a few days more.

The telling of this story is shockingly accurate and disturbing at the same time for what Shlomo had to do to survive, witnessing with absolute horror what was happening to people wether is was being led into the gas chambers or being beaten to death by guards. To bear witness to all this I don’t know how Shlomo slept at night after witnessing this…not for what he had to do in a bad way just the sight of everything he seen.

The narrators voice is perfect for this story, they done over do it to make it more impactful as the story itself does that. I’d listen to his other narrative work

If you want to know about being in the Sondercommando dealing with the every day horrors of having to help people undress and lead them to their deaths this story tells it all

I’d highly recommend this if you’re interested in learning more about the Holocaust especially one persons story of what happened inside the camp.

What would you have done ?

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very insightful into what happened and it was very sad and emotional to hear what he and others went through

Brilliant book

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a sad time in someones life who told you what he saw in as less a gory way as he could also seen his brother and cousin on you tube

sad and poignant

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