The Płaszów camp was established in 1942 under the authority of the SS and police leaders in Krakow (Cracow). Płaszów was initially a forced-labor camp for Jews, but became a concentration camp in 1944. The largest number of people confined there at any one time was more than 20,000. Thousands of people were killed in Płaszów, mostly by shooting.
![View of a section of the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1944. [LCID: 08864]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/c5279f8e-9ccc-4713-9f33-24b6bd2aeb17.jpg "View of a section of the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1944. [LCID: 08864]")
View of the industrial section of the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1944.
Item View![A group of women prisoners in the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944. [LCID: 32058]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/43fd7086-b7f1-4a2b-914f-52b7ec9571cd.jpeg "A group of women prisoners in the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944. [LCID: 32058]")
A group of women prisoners in the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944.
Item View![Prisoner forced laborers crowd around containers of food. [LCID: 50663]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/145541f3-bfeb-4c8b-8c4d-7ce991e38e69.jpg "Prisoner forced laborers crowd around containers of food. [LCID: 50663]")
Prisoner forced laborers crowd around containers of food. Plaszow labor camp, Poland, 1943-1944.
Item View![Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. [LCID: 03398]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/2a5b1946-c966-4ea9-9cba-0c131a123400.jpg "Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. [LCID: 03398]")
Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944.
Item View![Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. [LCID: 03395]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/b2628cce-03d1-455b-b65f-98657993455a.jpg "Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. [LCID: 03395]")
Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944.
Item View![View of part of the Plaszow concentration camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944. [LCID: 03393]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/73debd64-c79c-4597-9ea5-18a29a500b88.jpg "View of part of the Plaszow concentration camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944. [LCID: 03393]")
View of part of the Plaszow concentration camp in occupied Poland, showing an entrance gate. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944.
Item View![Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. [LCID: 03392]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/e92d10eb-4e59-45fe-9bd9-9faebd6907a3.jpg "Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. [LCID: 03392]")
Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944.
Item View![Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. [LCID: 03391]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/bb255826-cea9-42e4-91f8-e5fa0203e0c6.jpg "Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. [LCID: 03391]")
Jewish prisoners at forced labor in the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944.
Item View![View of the Plaszow concentration camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943–1944. [LCID: 03408]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/ebb3e3d0-99e8-44e0-8853-06514f4879c6.jpg "View of the Plaszow concentration camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943–1944. [LCID: 03408]")
View of a section of the Plaszow concentration camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943–1944.
Item View![The fence surrounding the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944. [LCID: 03405]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/47704fff-ee69-40f4-8aec-d60321bd7995.jpg "The fence surrounding the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944. [LCID: 03405]")
A section of barbed-wire fencing surrounding the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-44.
Item View![Entrance to the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944. [LCID: 03394]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/a2b744d5-3b52-4110-abd5-b2dc6635fdb5.jpg "Entrance to the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944. [LCID: 03394]")
View of the entrance to the Plaszow camp. Plaszow, Poland, 1943-1944.
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Women prisoners pull dumpcars filled with stones in the camp quarry. Plaszow camp, Poland, 1944.
Item View
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