  We present VLT/SINFONI integral field spectroscopy of RCW 34 along with
Spitzer/IRAC photometry of the surroundings. RCW 34 consists of three different
regions. A large bubble has been detected on the IRAC images in which a cluster
of intermediate- and low-mass class II objects is found. At the northern edge
of this bubble, an HII region is located, ionized by 3 OB stars. Intermediate
mass stars (2 - 3 Msun) are detected of G- and K- spectral type. These stars
are still in the pre-main sequence (PMS) phase. North of the HII region, a
photon-dominated region is present, marking the edge of a dense molecular cloud
traced by H2 emission. Several class 0/I objects are associated with this
cloud, indicating that star formation is still taking place. The distance to
RCW 34 is revised to 2.5 +- 0.2 kpc and an age estimate of 2 - 1 Myrs is
derived from the properties of the PMS stars inside the HII region. The most
likely scenario for the formation of the three regions is that star formation
propagates from South to North. First the bubble is formed, produced by
intermediate- and low-mass stars only, after that, the HII region is formed
from a dense core at the edge of the molecular cloud, resulting in the
expansion as a champagne flow. More recently, star formation occurred in the
rest of the molecular cloud. Two different formation scenarios are possible:
(a) The bubble with the cluster of low- and intermediate mass stars triggered
the formation of the O star at the edge of the molecular cloud which in turn
induces the current star-formation in the molecular cloud. (b) An external
triggering is responsible for the star-formation propagating from South to
North. [abridged]
