Registration in Auschwitz-Birkenau: the men

Otto Frank, Fritz Pfeffer and Hermann and Peter van Pels were among the remaining 399 men and 249 women, a total of 648 men, women and children, who had to walk separately via Lagerstrasse to the Zentralsauna Sauna, where they had to wait until morning. Then they had to undress and hand in their last belongings. Alphabetically by first letter of surname, their personal details were recorded and they were given their Häftlingnummer on a piece of paper, which was then tattooed on their left forearm.

Auschwitz was the only camp where prisoner numbers were tattooed on the body for identification. Only in the case of Otto Frank do we know the exact number. Otto Frank's camp number was B 9174. The numbers Fritz Pfeffer and Hermann and Peter van Pels had tattooed on their left forearm at registration were between B 9276 and B 9294.^[1]

Body hair was shaved off. After showering, they were issued with camp clothes, or random other clothing. The order of shaving, tattooing, etc. differed in the various testimonies and thus was not fixed.^[2]

Then they had to go to the shower room in the Sauna building. Meanwhile, the Kanada Kommando searched the luggage and clothing they had brought with them for valuables. The clothes were disinfected in special steam facilities in another part of the Sauna building. After showering, prisoners came into the next room to dry (by air; there were no towels). There, they were given camp clothes or random other clothing.^[3]

The men from this transport (including, therefore, Otto Frank, Fritz Pfeffer, Peter and Hermann van Pels) were then sent on foot to Auschwitz I, also called Stammlager, which was located about 3 kilometres from Auschwitz-Birkenau (Auschwitz II).^[4]