THE RUDOLF REPORT

5. AUSCHWITZdocument from this period refers to a room for the disinfestationof personal effects!For this reason, in the following, the term gas chamber will beplaced in single quotation marks at all times (‘gas chamber’), wheneverthe word refers to chambers for the execution of human beings.There are two reasons for this:1. The German technical term Gaskammer originally pointed exclusivelyto disinfestation chambers operated with toxic gas. Toapply the same term to chambers intended for the execution ofhuman beings is an incorrect use of the term at that time.2. Simply for the purpose of avoiding confusion as to the meaningof the word ‘gas chamber’ in each case, a distinction must bemade in writing.Fig. 17 shows the ground plan of the two disinfestation gas chambersof building 5a and 5b approximately in their original condition.The chamber in building 5a was transformed in the summer of 1943a: Hot air delousing chambersb: Vestibulesc: Shower roomd: Saunae: Undressing roomf: Dressing room9-15, 18, 20-22:Sample taking locationsFig. 18: Ground plan of the hot air disinfestation wing of building 5a afterbuilding alterations in 1943. BW 5a sample taking locations drawn in. 15475