Peacock’s The Tattooist of Auschwitz tells the chilling true story of Lali Sokolov, a Holocaust survivor from Slovakia, who was tasked with tattooing identification numbers on fellow prisoners’ arms in the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Second World War. Considering the period drama theme of the show, audiences might be wondering where the production team of The Tattooist of Auschwitz found the perfect filming locations to represent the horrors of the era. Well, read on to find out.
Bratislava, Slovakia
The Tattooist of Auschwitz was entirely filmed in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Since Lali Sokolov was born in a town in Slovakia (then a part of the Kingdom of Hungary), the production crew chose the same country as the filming location to recreate various events of his life. The filming of the series took place in Bratislava from February to May 2023.
In order to shoot sequences involving concentration camps, elaborate sets were constructed. Bratislava’s well-preserved Jewish sites, like synagogues and memorials, resulted in the authenticity of the portrayal of the time. Additionally, Slovakia’s landscape, including its towns and countryside, could easily mirror the settings of Holocaust-era events.
The production team also found a red-brick factory in Bratislava, with windows similar to that of Auschwitz concentration camps. This further made the city an ideal filming location for the project. As per reports, the Slovak government also offered commission to the producer for filming the project in the country, which resulted in cost-savings in the budget of the project.
The team also hired a local crew and cast for small roles in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This resulted in a blend of different accents and ethnicities on set, from Romany people to Polish people. So it became easier to create the ambiance of the horrible times, where people from different countries were kept together in camps.
Talking about the experience of the shoot, Jonah Hauer-King who plays young Lale Sokolov in the show, revealed in an interview that it was an exhausting experience. “It was always going to be quite draining,” the actor said, adding that the most difficult part was when the cast had to shave off their hair.
“Knowing why they shaved people’s heads, why they wanted to dehumanize people and take away their identity … Having been something I was quite matter-of-fact about, when I actually came to do it and saw myself in the mirror, it was so poignant. I wasn’t expecting that,” stated Hauer-King in an interview with The Guardian.
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