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Where was Auschwitz located in occupied Poland during World War II?

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Auschwitz: entrance gates — Auschwitz The entrance gates to the Auschwitz concentration camp, near Kraków, Poland; the sign reads “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work Liberates”).

During World War II, the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp complex was located in southern Poland, near the industrial town of Oświęcim. This region of Poland had been annexed by Germany at the beginning of the war.12

The complex consisted of three primary camps situated in the immediate vicinity:
* Auschwitz I: The original prison camp established in 1940, located in Oświęcim.12
* Auschwitz II (Birkenau): The large extermination complex built beginning in 1941, located outside the nearby village of Brzezinka.2
* Auschwitz III (Buna-Monowitz): A slave-labour camp established in 1942 near the village of Dwory to support the IG Farben industrial works.2

The site was strategically chosen for its location at a major railway junction, which facilitated the transport of victims from across Europe to the camp.2