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Zyklon B Definition

By Jennifer Rosenberg, About.com Guide

A picture of Zyklon B canisters at Majdanek.

Containers of Zyklon B (poison gas pellets) and a gas mask found at Majdanek after the liberation of the camp.

(Photo courtesy USHMM)
Definition: Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) - The poison that was dropped in crystal form, through a small hole in the ceiling, into the gas chambers. The pellets turned into a lethal gas once in air. The first test using Zyklon B was on September 3, 1941 in Auschwitz. Previous to its use in gas chambers, Zyklon B was a common insecticide.

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