The death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau became the killing centre during WWII where the largest numbers of European Jews were murdered by the Nazis. Extermination was conducted on an industrial scale with some estimates running as high as three million persons killed here through gassing, starvation, disease, shooting and burning.
One Christian man who died here became a martyr to the truth of evils of Nazism - a true hero for our time, a saint who lived what he preached, total love toward God and man. Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest who died as prisoner 16770 in Auschwitz-Birkenau, August 14, 1941. When a prisoner escaped from the camp, the Nazis selected 10 others to be killed by starvation in reprisal for the escape. One of the 10 selected to die, Franciszek Gajowniczek, began to cry: "My wife! My children! I will never see them again!" At this juncture, Maximilian stepped forward and asked to die in his place. His request was granted .... You can read his full story at the Jewish vitual library.
在二次大戰時位於現在波蘭奧斯維治集中營﹝Auschwitz-Birkenau﹞發生了一件可歌可泣的事情，就是德國納粹軍人對猶太人進行殘酷的殘殺，當時德軍規定每逢有一個猶太囚犯跑掉時，德軍便會在集中營裏找10個其他囚犯出來處決，以阻嚇其他囚犯逃走。
高比神父﹝Maximilian Kolbe﹞就是當時猶太囚犯之一，他於1941年8月14日因為挺身代替另外一位不幸被德軍選中的猶太囚友加作尼斯先生﹝Gajowniczek﹞成為代罪羔羊而犧牲了自己的性命，如果你想詳細了解他的故事，可瀏覽猶太網上圖書館﹝英文﹞。