The Industrialization of Auschwitz: Otto Ambros, I. G. Farben, and the Nazi atomic bomb

Mario J. Pinheiro
4 min readAug 22, 2023

Agfa, Chemische Fabrik Griesheim-Elektron, and Chemische Fabril vorm were among the industrial companies that benefited from the slave labor at the Auschwitz concentration camp. They were selected by I. G. Farben chemist Otto Ambros to produce synthetic rubber, oil, and, reportedly, uranium. Otto Ambros was a German chemist and Nazi war criminal who worked on synthetic rubber and nerve agents. The Nuremberg Military Tribunals found him guilty of crimes against humanity for employing slave labor from the Auschwitz III-Monowitz death camp.

The I. G. Farben complex, designated “I. G. Auschwitz”, was the largest industrial facility in the world and consumed more electricity than Berlin.

The location was chosen due to the availability of slave labor, a coal mine, rail and road networks, and large water sources.

The industrial companies benefited from the slave labor at Auschwitz.

The industrial companies were selected by I. G. Farben chemist, Otto Ambros, to produce synthetic rubber and oil.

The I. G. Farben complex, designated “I. G. Auschwitz”, was the largest industrial facility in the world and consumed more electricity than Berlin.

G. Farben chose Otto Ambros to make synthetic oil, rubber, and, allegedly, uranium.

The Auschwitz concentration camp was chosen due to the availability of slave labor, a coal mine, rail and road networks, and large water sources.

I. G. Farben was a German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate formed in 1925 by the merger of six chemical companies: BASF, Bayer, and Hoechst.

In a compelling story, a methodic account of the atomic race is given by Carter Plympton Hidrick in a practically forgotten book.

The Atomic Race

According to Hydrick, the United States was unable to produce enough enriched uranium in a useful amount of time, or a functional device able to trigger the fission reactions.

But Hitler’s Germany had enough bomb-grade uranium fabricated at the Buna concentration camp, the largest Auschwitz sub-camp, also known as the Monowitz concentration camp.

The I. G. Farben conglomerate played a major role in the production of bomb-grade uranium for Hitler’s Germany.

The production of this uranium had a devastating impact on the concentration camp prisoners, who were forced to work in the factories under inhumane conditions.

The Human Cost of War

The production of bomb-grade uranium at the Buna concentration camp had a devastating impact on the prisoners, who were forced to work in the factories under inhumane conditions.

The prisoners were subjected to long hours of grueling labor, with little food or medical care, leading to thousands of deaths.

The Legacy of the I. G. Farben

The I. G. Farben conglomerate has left a dark legacy in its wake, with its production of bomb-grade uranium for Hitler’s Germany.

The production of this uranium had a devastating impact on the concentration camp prisoners, who were forced to work in the factories under inhumane conditions.

The Mind-Blowing Truth

Unbelievable new information regarding the Auschwitz concentration camp is making its way into the public domain.
The manufacturing of bomb-grade uranium for Hitler’s Germany was greatly aided by the I. G. Farben corporation, with disastrous effects on the prisoners of concentration camps.

Otto Hahn and the Discovery of Nuclear Fission

Otto Hahn was a German chemist and Nobel Prize winner who is best known for his discovery of nuclear fission. During the 1930s, Hahn was a member of the Nazi party and worked on nuclear research with the German Army. After World War II, Hahn was found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to prison. Despite his involvement with the Nazis, Hahn is credited with discovering nuclear fission and is considered one of the most important scientists of the 20th century.

Nuclear physics made a significant advance with the discovery of nuclear fission by Hahn. His work paved the way for the creation of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. The Atomic Age, a time of fast scientific and technological growth, was also ushered in thanks to Hahn’s discovery. Hahn is regarded as one of the most significant scientists in history, and his work and discoveries are still relevant today.

The Nazis and the Atomic Bomb

One of the first powerful nations to realize the possibility of atomic weapons was Nazi Germany. The German atomic bomb program was formally launched in 1939 after they started studying nuclear fission in the early 1930s.
Werner Heisenberg, a physicist who was tasked with creating a nuclear weapon for Hitler’s war machine, oversaw the project. Even though Heisenberg’s team produced a modest amount of plutonium, the effort ultimately failed.

The Legacy of the Atomic Bomb

A new era of conflict and terror was ushered in with the atomic bomb. As countries raced to create their nuclear weapons, it altered how nations saw conflict and sparked a tremendous arms race.
The atomic bomb’s legacy is still present today. The world is still threatened by nuclear war as nations compete to develop the most potent weapons. One of the first powerful nations to realize the possibility of atomic weapons was Nazi Germany. Even though their attempts to create a nuclear weapon ultimately failed, their work had a significant influence on the world.

The atomic bomb changed the course of history. Its use in Japan ushered in a new era of mass destruction and terror, and its legacy is still felt today. Nations are still racing to build the most powerful weapons, and the threat of nuclear war hangs over the world.

GENERAL REFERENCE:

Carter Plymton Hydrick, “Critical Mass: How Nazi Germany Surrendered Enriched Uranium for the United States’ Atomic Bomb”, Independent Publishers Group, Chicago, 2016. Link Here.

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Mario J. Pinheiro

Seeking Wisdom from the Depths of Physics, Econophysics, and Martial Arts. Full Member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society