Reliving the horrors of atrocities committed by the Nazis on World War II death camp prisoners, a photo album made from human skin of a victim from a Nazi detention camp has been found by a collector. The album, emitting foul smell, was purchased by the collector from an antiques shop in Poland.
After buying the unique album, the collector realised that it was made from human skin as he noticed a tattoo and human hair on the album cover.
The collector gave the album to authorities at the Auschwitz Memorial Museum who confirmed that the album was made from human skin and was "without doubt proof of a crime against humanity".
Skin belonged to Buchenwald concentration camp prisoner
The album carried more than 100 photographs and postcards, found in its dust jacket. The photographs featured landscape views. It is believed that the album and its gruesome cover were gifted to a Bavarian family which ran a hotel by a Nazi official at the Buchenwald camp.
According to Metro, after analysing the album closely, the museum staff said it was highly possible that both the cover of the album and its binding were done using the skin of an inmate either by killing him or after his death at the Buchenwald concentration camp in Nazi Germany. The confirmation was given by experts after comparing the album with other objects made from human skin.
Head of the Auschwitz Museum Collections, Elzbieta Cajzer, said: "The research suggests that it is very likely that both covers, owing to their technology and composition, came from the same bookbinding workshop.
"The use of human skin as a production material is directly associated with the figure of Ilse Koch, who, along with her husband, inscribed her name in history as the murderer from the camp in Buchenwald. One can easily guess, the covers were made of human skins, which came from the 'resources' of the SS."
Ilse Koch was known to make products using human skin
The Germany-based Buchenwald concentration camp was infamous for killing inmates and carrying out cruel and unspeakable experiments on them. The concentration camp was run by Camp Commandant Karl-Otto Koch, whose wife was Ilse Koch, also known as The Witch of Buchenwald.
Started in 1937, Buchenwald was the first concentration camp opened by Hitler. It closed down after eight years with more than 55,000 people killed mercilessly.
Koch was known to make items including lampshades, albums, and table covers using the skin of murdered inmates, especially those who had unique tattoos. It was reported that Koch even used human thumbs as light switches.
Metro reported that due to her sadistic activities, Koch was given a free hand to run the camp and commit the inhumane atrocities on the prisoners.
During the 1947 Nuremberg war crimes trials, Koch was given the life sentence while her husband was hanged in 1944.
