The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Owicim
(ôshvyN´chm) (KEY) , Ger. Auschwitz, town (1992 est. pop. 45,100), Maopolskie prov., SE Poland. It is a railway junction and industrial center producing chemicals, leather, and agricultural implements. There are coal deposits in the vicinity. In World War II the Germans organized a concentration camp system there, consisting of 3 main and 30 forced-labor camps. At the Brzezinka (Ger. Birkenau) extermination camp as many as 4,000,000 prisoners, mostly Jews, were killed.
wi
cim
N´ch
m) (KEY) , Ger. Auschwitz, town (1992 est. pop. 45,100), Ma
opolskie prov., SE Poland. It is a railway junction and industrial center producing chemicals, leather, and agricultural implements. There are coal deposits in the vicinity. In World War II the Germans organized a concentration camp system there, consisting of 3 main and 30 forced-labor camps. At the Brzezinka (Ger. Birkenau) extermination camp as many as 4,000,000 prisoners, mostly Jews, were killed.
