Concentration Camp Auschwitz West (Buchenholz) – I.G. Farben chemical combine

I.G. Farben was a conglomerate of eight German chemical trusts, including Bayer, Hoechst, and BASF (Badische Anilin-und Sodafabrik), making it the world’s largest chemical firm. Zyklon B gas, used to kill Jews in the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, was supplied by an I.G. Farben subsidiary. The Buna synthetic rubber factory at Auschwitz III was operated by I.G. Farben. The labor camp at Auschwitz West, called Buchenholz, also run by I.G. Farben, employed both slave laborers and conscripted civilian workers from occupied countries. Although the conscripts were forced laborers, they enjoyed privileges that were not accorded to slave laborers, including fewer mail restrictions.