Zyklon B pellets found after Soviet forces liberated the Lublin concentration camp (called Majdanek) in late July 1944. The Nazis used Zyklon B to murder Jews in the gas chambers of the Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center and at other sites, including Majdanek.
Zyklon B is the brand name of a pesticide and disinfectant distributed by the Degesch company (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Schädlingsbekämpfung mbH), a subsidiary of the German chemical company Degussa. Zyklon B is produced as pellets infused with hydrogen cyanide, a poisonous gas. When these pellets are exposed to air, the hydrogen cyanide is released. Before World War II, Zyklon B was commonly used for fumigation (killing bugs and pests). It was also an effective disinfectant. The Nazis used Zyklon B not only for its intended purpose as a disinfectant, but also to murder people in gas chambers.
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