Rectification of walls of the historical brick barrack on the site of the former German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp KL Auschwitz - Birkenau

Abstract

The construction of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz II - Birkenau started at the end of 1941. A barrack with the current inventory no. B-123, situated at the section BI, was then erected. The barrack has a documentary and historical value. The barrack walls are characterised by the low stiffness, because with the building’s plan of 36.17 m × 11.39 m, the walls are only 0.12 m thick. All the outer walls have been substantially deformed or vertically deflected. Up to 100 mm wide gaps have formed between the deformed and deflected external walls and contiguous walls as a result. The stability of the walls was at risk, because a bad-quality wall was loaded with horizontal and vertical forces transmitted from the roof on the eccentricity reaching 100 mm. Deformations were progressing over time as a consequence of such forces. Individual rectification procedures were designed and implemented for each wall as part of the comprehensive conservatory and building works, the purpose of which was to ensure the stability. This article presents a procedure of rectification the eastern gable wall and the outer, longitudinal northern wall. The deformation of the eastern gable wall was removed by changing its static scheme, by inserting hinge regions into the wall along the line of selected bed joints. Separate wall patches, which could rotate relative to each other, were created as a result of the forces acting perpendicular to the wall surface. By causing the mutual rotation of such patches, the eastern gable wall reached the desired vertical position. The vertically deflected, longitudinal outer northern wall was rectified by rotating the wall in relation to the wall support edge on the foundations. An analogous procedure was applied to the outer longitudinal southern wall. After the completed rectification, the walls were anchored to the contiguous walls; the places of rotation and anchoring were filled with mortar. A different procedure was adopted for the other deflected walls. The advancing deformations of the western gable wall were stopped by stabilising its position with the steel elements connected with ties anchored in the ground. It was inadmissible to rectify this wall because it is covered with plaster and paint coats with a high historical value.