XXX Nasrullah – 2046821

PROJECT REPORT
PROJECT 5 MAUTHAUSEN 3D ANALYSIS

THEORETICAL CONTEXT

The objective of this study was to investigate who in the surrounding area had the ability to view
the crematorium at Mauthausen. The students were trained on how to utilize the DEM (digital
elevation model) of the Mauthausen concentration camp area to create new raster files for hillshade,
aspect, and slope, as well as how to properly set the symbology for the three raster layers. They also
learned how to generate a 3D representation of the DEM (digital elevation model) with the building
extruded using the Qgis2threejs plugin, and how to create a set of points representing observer
locations using the visibility tool.
In GIS, elevation data is typically stored in a raster model and presented in 3D. Two types of DEM
can be distinguished: DTM (digital terrain model) and DSM (digital surface model). The hillshade
was used to depict the elevation as it is a synthetic representation of the light from a light source
(the sun), the aspect was used to indicate the direction the surface is facing (north, south, east, west,
etc.), and the slope was used to show the steepness of the surface, which is useful for determining
whether or not a crop can be planted. Additionally, a topographic profile was created to depict the
slope of a surface in relation to a horizontal plane.
Then, I employed a viewshed analysis to determine the areas that could be seen from an observer's
location in order to identify who could see the crematorium. The observer's position, any potential
terrain or cover obstacles, any offsets, metrics, etc. must all be taken into account before conducting
a successful viewshed analysis. There are various uses for this technique, including but not limited
to: historical reconstruction; landscape studies for construction purposes; etc.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT

Nestled in the picturesque landscape of northwestern Austria, the small village of Mauthausen lies
in close proximity to the bustling city of Linz. The village's rich history is deeply intertwined with
the infamous Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex, a haunting reminder of the atrocities
committed during WWII. The tranquil River Danubio winds its way through the village, lending the
area a lush and serene atmosphere.
Evidence of human habitation in the Mauthausen region dates back to the Neolithic period, with
archaeological discoveries indicating a long and storied past. The area served as an important hub
for ancient Roman trade routes, further solidifying its place in history. The village was officially
named "Mauthausen" in 1007, when it became a toll station for ships on the river.
On May 16, 1189, the village incurred the wrath of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa when it taxed his
army as it marched towards Vienna. In retaliation, the Emperor ordered the village to be burned to
the ground. The village had been established by the Third Crusade.
During World War I, a POW camp was located east of Mauthausen, where thousands of Italian,
Serbian and Russian soldiers were held. Tragically, many of these prisoners, predominantly of
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Italian and Serb descent, perished at the camp due to the brutality of the Hungarian guards. A
cemetery for war dead now stands as a solemn tribute to these fallen soldiers.
In the years leading up to WWII, one of the first large concentration camp complexes in Nazi
Germany was established just west of the village. The inhumane treatment of prisoners, including
forcing them to carry stone slabs up 186 stairs from the camp quarry, earned the steps the nickname
"Stairway to Death." The village was also affected by the River Danube flooding twice, in 1954 and
2002. 1
GIS METHODS USED

 After giving the project a name, I went to the project's settings and changed the coordinate
reference system (CRS) to MGI Austria Lambert EPSG: 31287 using the filter option.

 The data used in the project, including vector, raster, and data structures, came from various
sources, such as the polygon layers Residential Buildings 31287.shp, Zonal statistics.shp,
wievshed from crematory 1p6.shp, viewer at crematory.shp, CampCrematory 31287.shp,
which were downloaded from the source CampLocations CORSO DI LAUREA
MAGISTRALE IN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT - Home page 2021-22/GIS: MAPPING
AND ANALYSIS (MOD. B) 2021-2022/GIS: MAPPING AND ANALYSIS (MOD. B) -
PROF. SILVIA PIOVAN/Materiali didattici/ GIS materials/ mauthausen.zip.

 Upon opening the attribute table for the Zonal statistic, I discovered that the total number of
buildings was 2194; the number of buildings with value 1, indicating that they could see the
location of the crematory, was 214; and that some values were NULL because some
buildings were outside the study area.

 I employed various GIS procedures in this project, starting with giving the project the name
Mauthausen 3D Analysis and saving it. I installed the QGIS2threejs Plugin, which I used to
create the 3D model, ensured that the coordinate reference system (CRS) was correct, and
then imported the necessary layers from a specified folder into the project. I also created a
layer attribute table and learnt how to sort the layers alphabetically by name.

 Next, I created a Hillshade with a north-westerly standard light source, adjusted the Z factor
to make the surface stand out more, saved the Hillshade in our Mauthausen GeoPackage,
and removed the intermediate layer. I then enabled layer visibility by setting symbols for our
DEM to use a single bent pseudo color and a Hillshade transparency of 47%. For the third-
dimensional version, I extruded the structure and the camp and took into account the slope
and aspect.

 I developed viewpoints to determine who, from different locations in the neighborhood,

would be able to view into the crematorium. To accomplish this, I relocated the observer to
the camp crematorium and modified the symbolism to make it stand out more. I modeled a
location's visibility over a topographical surface using the visibility analysis plugin. I then
used the spots I made in step 2 to construct a viewshed over the Mauthausen region. I chose

1
(wikipedia.org)
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a binary viewshed, where a value of 0 indicated that the site was not visible from that
vantage point, while a value of 1 indicated that it was. As a result of our new symbology, the
value 0 is now represented by a different color.

 Finally, I pinpointed which buildings could be seen from where. Using the number of cells
and the maximum value as inputs, I ran a zonal statistic tool to point out that even the
structure offering only a partial view of the crematory is worth 1. I used an attribute-based
filter to analyze the information at hand.

RESULTS

The layout that was developed provides an in-depth visual representation of the crematory location.
It includes a 3D view of the crematorium, as well as three detailed maps that depict the data
gathered from the crematorium. To enhance the understanding of the layout, I have incorporated a
North arrow, legends, and a scale bar to provide additional context and clarity. Furthermore, a title
has been included to provide a clear indication of the subject matter being depicted. This
comprehensive layout is designed to enable an easy and comprehensive understanding of the data
and information related to the crematory location.

REFELCTION

The vast landscape of Geographic Information System (GIS) is teeming with an abundance of tools
and plugins that offer endless possibilities. The flexibility of GIS allows for a variety of methods to
accomplish a task, all while achieving the same outcome. It's always a good idea to explore the
various options available through Windows, as new and useful tools are constantly being
discovered. As a GIS professional, I am always intrigued by new tools that I come across and make
it a priority to learn more about how they work. Even when tackling similar projects, I find that
there's always something new to learn and different ways to utilize the tools at my disposal.
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GIS CARTOGRAPHICAL ELABORATION