Auschwitz-Birkenau Through the eyes of the Nazis

The album contained 116 pictures taken between May and December 1944 chronicling the life of SS officers and other officials at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The rare images capture SS guards and Nazi officials relaxing and enjoying time off—hunting, singing, trimming Christmas trees, and more—all while Jews were being murdered at rates as fast as anytime during the Holocaust. The album was created and owned by Karl Hoecker, an adjunct to camp Kommandant Richard Baer. With thanks to the American Shoah Museum