The Commandant’s House

Dom komendanta obozu

Dom Komendanta Obozu (The Commandant’s House) is located at the Auschwitz I concentration camp and served as the residence for the camp’s commandant, Rudolf Höss. The house is a chilling reminder of the contrast between the brutalities of the camp and the comfort enjoyed by its perpetrators. While prisoners suffered and were exterminated just yards away, Höss and his family lived in this relatively comfortable dwelling. The house now stands as part of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, illustrating the reality of Nazi officials living in proximity to the atrocities they orchestrated.

The Commandant’s House is preserved as part of the museum’s effort to educate visitors about the operational aspects of the Auschwitz concentration camp. It includes exhibits that focus on the lives of the camp’s administration, including Höss’s role in organizing the mass murders. The house provides an unsettling glimpse into how those responsible for the Holocaust maintained normal lives while overseeing one of history’s greatest genocides. It also highlights the psychological and moral contradictions faced by individuals in positions of power during the Nazi regime. For more information on visiting the Commandant’s House and other parts of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, you can visit the official website