Chapter Six - Auschwitz, Inc.

CHAPTER SIX

Auschwitz, Inc.

AUSCHWITZ IS KNOWN as a death camp.
But it was also a factory.

In 1941, IG Farben began construction on a massive industrial complex just a few miles from the main Auschwitz camp in occupied Poland. The site was chosen for its proximity to rail lines, water, and above all — slave labor.

The new facility was called Monowitz.
Its purpose: to manufacture synthetic rubber and fuel for the Nazi war effort.
Its workforce: prisoners.

Tens of thousands of concentration camp inmates were forced to work for IG Farben under brutal conditions. Many died from starvation, exhaustion, or abuse. Those who became too weak were sent to the gas chambers. Others were experimented on.

Internal company documents later revealed that Bayer employees selected prisoners for drug trials. Some were injected with experimental compounds to test new pharmaceuticals. Most died. Others were killed to observe the effects during autopsy.

There was no consent. No oversight. No concern.

Just data.

Executives from IG Farben, including former Bayer leadership, visited the site. They tracked productivity. They complained about inefficiency. They placed orders for more workers. Human lives were measured in output.

Monowitz became a central piece of IG Farben’s wartime strategy.

And Auschwitz, once a symbol of pure ideology, became part of the company ledger. Another facility, another supply chain, another line on the balance sheet.