A staircase is a structure with steps that allows you to ascend and descend between levels.
Vertical transit
The stairs are used to go down and up , allowing access to places that are on different levels. Sometimes, in addition to the steps (or rungs ), they present plateaus or landings and railings ( handrails ).
Buildings with multiple floors or floors always have stairs, even when they have elevators . Stairs are essential for going up and down in case of emergency or when a power outage occurs that prevents the elevators from operating.
Mauthausen Staircase
The Mauthausen "staircase of death" is one of the cruel execution methods used in the eponymous Nazi concentration camp during World War II . Mauthausen was one of the most brutal and deadly concentration camps operated by the Nazi regime, and was located in Austria. It was established in 1938 and operated until its liberation in 1945.
The Mauthausen ladder was a practice used to carry out summary executions of prisoners in the camp, primarily for those considered political enemies , members of the resistance, or anyone the Nazis believed to be a threat to their regime. The method consisted of forcing them to climb a steep staircase of 186 steps carved from a granite quarry. At the end there was a raised platform called "The Ramp", on the edge of a cliff.
The prisoners were led in groups and, upon reaching the top, they were thrown into the void from the platform, after being brutally beaten by the guards. Those who did not die instantly suffered a slow and painful death . Guards often pushed prisoners while they were still alive, prolonging their suffering and increasing the horror of the execution for those who saw the fate that awaited them.
The Staircase of Death was a brutal and merciless way to eliminate thousands of innocent people . It is important to remember that the concentration camps were places of extreme suffering and unimaginable atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi regime. This is just one example of the numerous dehumanizing ways in which prisoners were treated and killed during this dark period of history. Its existence serves as a reminder of the cruelty that can arise when extremist and totalitarian ideologies are indulged. Preserving historical memory is crucial to prevent such atrocities from happening again.
Types of stairs
There are multiple types of stairs. Fixed stairs are those that are part of the structure of a building and cannot be moved. Among these stairs we can find spiral stairs , round-trip stairs and single-flight stairs , among many others.
Portable ladders , meanwhile, can be moved according to need. In most homes there are stairs of this type so that residents can reach items stored in high furniture, change lamps or paint the ceilings , to name a few possibilities.
The folding ladder is lightweight and easy to carry.
In this group we find the folding ladder , designed to be easily transported, stored and used in various situations. Its main feature is its ability to fold into compact sections, making it convenient to store in tight spaces or carry from one place to another.
An escalator , on the other hand, is a means of transportation with steps that move down or up automatically. The user only has to stand on one of the steps and let the escalator take him to a higher or lower level as the case may be.