Oświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland province of southern Poland, situated 33 kilometres southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of …Oświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland province of southern Poland, situated 33 kilometres southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula and Soła rivers. The town is known internationally for being the site of the German Nazi-built Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II, when Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany.