Extermination Camps:
1. Deportation: Large groups of Jews, as well as other targeted groups such as Roma and political prisoners, were deported from ghettos, cities, and concentration camps throughout Nazi-occupied territories to these extermination camps.
2. Selection: Upon arrival at the killing center, there was often a selection process. Some individuals considered "fit for work" were directed to forced labor camps, while the vast majority were deemed "unfit for work" and slated for immediate extermination.
3. Stripping of Valuables: The victims' belongings, including clothing, luggage, and valuables, were taken from them upon arrival and categorized for later transport back to Germany.
4. Gas Chambers: The primary means of killing at the centers were gas chambers disguised as shower facilities. At Auschwitz-Birkenau, Zyklon B, a cyanide gas, was dropped through vents into the sealed chambers, killing the people inside within minutes.
5. Mass Graves and Cremation: The bodies were then removed and either buried in mass graves or burned in open pits or specialized crematoria. This was done to dispose of the bodies efficiently and conceal the extent of the mass murder.
6. Dehumanization and Trauma: The entire process at these killing centers was designed to dehumanize the victims and inflict deep psychological trauma upon them. People were subjected to harsh conditions, deprived of basic necessities, and treated with utmost brutality by the SS personnel.
7. Medical Experiments: Additionally, some of these centers also conducted medical experiments on prisoners, including gruesome and torturous procedures performed by Nazi doctors and scientists.
The German killing centers were central to the Nazis' genocidal plan known as the "Final Solution" to exterminate European Jewry. The efficiency of the killing process and the sheer number of victims murdered in a short period reflect the systematic and barbaric nature of the Holocaust.