THE RUDOLF REPORT

5. AUSCHWITZdeep are not dug.Indeed, one can unearth in excavations west of the Birkenau campashes and bone splinters (whether from humans or cattle remains open)to the depth of several decimeters, intensively mixed with all kinds ofrefuse (glass and porcelain shards, slag, bits of iron, etc.). Apparentlythis place served as a rubbish heap for the camp under German administrationand/or after the war under Polish administration.In his detailed study of aerial photos of the Birkenau camp madeby the allied surveillance planes, J.C. Ball has revealed that at no pointin time in the summer and autumn of 1944 in the camp or in its environswere large incineration pits—and fuel stockpiles necessary forthat—to be seen, let alone flames and smoke, as they are repeatedlyattested to. 311 He did, however, locate the places were mass graves hadexisted (see Fig. 58). 3035.5. Construction ConclusionsEven the most primitive temporary disinfestation installations—whether in the initial period of the life of Auschwitz camp or elsewhere—werealways equipped with a ventilation and heating system,the last being, of course, useful but not absolutely necessary. But noroom possessing no ventilation system need even be seriously consideredas a room for fumigation with poisonous gases, whether for lice orhuman beings. Homicidal ‘gas chambers’ must furthermore beequipped, apart from the entry doors, with an opening for the introductionof the poison gas material from the outside; this is not absolutelynecessary for disinfestation installations, but is nevertheless useful. Itmust be concluded, therefore, that no installation possessing neither apoison gas introduction device from the outside, nor any possibility ofventilation, can be taken seriously as a homicidal ‘gas chamber’. If oneconsiders the rooms discussed above in a summary manner, the resultsare shown in Table 2.Not taken into consideration in the above, among other things, isthe fact that hypothetical homicidal ‘gas chambers’ would have to beescape-proof, that their equipment had to be panic-proof, that theirventilation would have to be efficient enough for homicidal purposes,311 J.C. Ball, op. cit. (note 43).145