This is a lie.Posted by Cosmored (here)
Supposedly the most dreaded of German camps, Auschwitz was repeatedly visited by Red Cross inspection teams who were allowed to speak to prisoner representatives alone, in order to hear first-hand of any mistreatment, chicanery, interruption of mail and parcel delivery, health concerns, food and ration matters etc. No such visits took place - ever! - to Soviet Gulag camps.
Visits were forbidden by the Nazis and the German Red Cross. The fact is that there was only ever one visit by the ICRC to Auschwitz.
On 27 September 1944, Dr Maurice Rossel, a representative of the ICRC, arrived - unannounced - at Auschwitz, where he managed to speak to someone he presumed
was the commander of the camp, but he was not permitted entry to the camp.
Rossel gave an interview talking about his visit to Auschwitz; it’s quite long so here are a few of the his statements:
…but we saw nothing of what was going on there.
We had to get information, as much as possible, try to go there to see, try to go at least to the Kommandatur to take inventory of the various camps,
to see them, see where they are. But in no case will you be covered by the ICRC, because we have no right to send you there.
But with nylon stockings for their (the guards) sweethearts it was possible to get them to look the other way, and it was possible to get to a camp
commander, so I was able to get in Auschwitz.
La: But you did have an authorization to go to Auschwitz?
Rossel: None, none, none, none.
La: But you were still expected there?
Rossel: Not at all, not at all. There was no authorization, you did not get any written authorization, nothing. At that time I would have been barred at departure.
I asked him (the Kommandatur) questions where.... he went with great evasion ...
I asked him...if it would be possible that we would support the infirmary, that we would visit....
He said: – No, these are internees, you have no right to see whatever.
LA: And what did you see of the camp?
Rossel: Nothing. Of the camp. I saw barracks. I saw those from where I was.
La: Barracks for...
Rossel: Military barracks...
La: Of wood?
Rossel: Wooden barracks. They were.... Possibly they were barracks for the guards.
La: And you did not suspect anything of Birkenau, for example?
Rossel: No, Birkenau, I did not....
La: An extermination camp which is one kilometer away from the main camp.
Rossel: No. Exactly, nothing.
They (the Germans) had the impression that they were doing something useful.
I made my little report of a visit to the Kommandatur of Auschwitz. But, you know... really, this is awfully little. I could do no more.
https://collections.ushmm.org/film_f..._01_trl_en.pdf
The ICRC has since made several statements regarding its many failures during WW2. For example:
On the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the ICRC termed the episode ‘the greatest failure in its history'.
see: http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/do...ent/68zeb2.htm (last visited 11 August 2012)