# First transport to Auschwitz (1940)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1940-first-transport-to-auschwitz
Location: Oświęcim
Categories: main-event

On 14 June 1940 the first transport of 728 Polish political prisoners arrived at Auschwitz, which later became the largest German death camp. Within the broader World War II period: Invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union, Poland suffered brutal occupation and the Holocaust, while its underground state and armed forces fought on every front of the war. At this point in the timeline (14 June 1940), the governing authority was Władysław Raczkiewicz (President of Poland (in exile)). President of the internationally recognised Polish government-in-exile in France and London during World War II. First transport to Auschwitz mattered because it was part of the deliberate destruction of human lives that devastated Poland's Jewish and Polish populations and remains central to the memory of the twentieth century. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
First transport to Auschwitz mattered because it was part of the deliberate destruction of human lives that devastated Poland's Jewish and Polish populations and remains central to the memory of the twentieth century.

Ruler at the time: [Władysław Raczkiewicz](https://poland-history.com/rulers/wladyslaw-raczkiewicz)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Auschwitz concentration camp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — First transport to Auschwitz](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=First+transport+to+Auschwitz)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland (1939–1945) (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_(1939%E2%80%931945))