The word Holocaust can refer to any widespread human disaster. Whenever that word is spoken today, many think about the almost complete destruction of the Jewish people. Throughout the holocaust, there were many concentration camps where Jews were tortured and murdered. One of the most famous camps, would be Auschwitz. Auschwitz possesses the most Jews murdered during this time, almost one million. Elie Wiesel, the author of Night, is a survivor of the Holocaust. In his novel, he wrote about Auschwitz being "the worst time of his life." He also said "it was as if we were nothing, and we were treated that way." (Wiesel, 57-59) It is a network of German Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps built and ran by the Third Reich in Polish areas. .
When arriving to Auschwitz, the unloading of rail transports of prisoners took place on a ramp beside the camp in the prison huts of Auschwitz I. The first thing arriving people did was surrender their clothes, including underwear, all valuables and proof of identity, as well as all other personal possessions. After this, prisoners would be shaven. Even females would have to have their hair cut. Then, they were driven to the showers, and issued special prison clothing made of coarse cloth with blue and gray stripes. Males received a shirt, long-underwear, a blouse as well as trousers. There were different clothes for the different season. Following this, they would have to fill out a form consisting of personal information, and details of next of kin. Thus registered, the prisoners would be issued a serial number, which would serve as their name for the time of their stay in the camp. .
Being issued a number, the registration process would continue. They would be given their "souvenir" of their stay at Auschwitz. They were tattooed of the number on their left forearm. The tattoo would serve the same purpose as the number, strictly for identification.