Reflections on our visit to Auschwitz

Note: The Holocaust is a very difficult subject yet one I believe needs to be talked about lest we forget.  I spent extra time thinking about how to write about this in the most sensitive and accurate manner.  I hope you learn a little bit from it and feel inspired to visit yourself.

While in Krakow we decided to visit Auschwitz - one of the most infamous Nazi concentration/extermination camps.   1.1M people died there, more then all the British and US losses in the second world war.  As global citizens we thought necessary to visit this dark piece of history.  It was a time for reflecting on history, morality, and humanity.  The camp is in the Polish country side, not far from Krakow.  The area would be scenic if it weren't for the knowledge of the evil done there.

Our tour was audio-guided by a highly trained expert.  She provided insightful commentary and answered our questions.  There are multiple components to the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex.  The first is the older camp which now houses the museum and artifacts.  As you walk to it you see the infamous sign with the cruel lie "Work Makes You Free":

We then walked through the camp.  It was an eiry chilling experience made more ominous by the overcast skys and drizzle.  Survivors of Asuchwitz (their weren't many) say the place is almost the same as it was then except there was no grass just mud.

Barbed wire and train tracks.

Auschwitz was at the center of many railroads.  This was planned and indicative of the ruthless efficiency in which the Holocaust was conducted.  The brick buildings were former barracks that were turned into pseudo prisons.  We saw the places where thousands were tortured, experimented on, and executed.

The museum exhibits were instrumental in connecting the empty physical site with the actual human impact.  Most chilling were the leftover relics.  Their presence shows the crimes, their quantity shows the magnitude, and their categorization shows the evil calculation.

Pots and pans of the victims.  Most brought their closest possessions unaware of their future fate.

The luggage of the victims with names of real people.

Recreation of the operation of the large gas chambers.

After the exhibits we walked to the first crematorium.  It is still physically present and it provides chilling evidence to the crimes there.  As the war turned against Nazi Germany they increased the pace at which they executed their crimes.  This involved the construction of 4 large crematoriums and around 100 barracks.  The living conditions in the barracks were designed to provide a horrible experience.  We toured a recreation of one of those barracks.

As the Soviet army approached in 1944 the Nazis began destroying evidence of the camp.  They burned and destroyed records and demolished the crematoria and many of the barracks.  Below is the wreckage of one of the large crematoria.  Even so there is plenty of evidence of the evil there.

The visit to Auschwitz was extremely powerful.  Its a somber experience that creates more questions the answers.  To me it is a reminder to never lose our humanity and to appreciate the freedoms we do have.  To me it is also a reminder to fight for others and to stand up against tyranny.  We all have obligations to look after and take care of each other.  And we all have moral obligations to promote peace, understanding and diversity.

Auschwitz Memorial

If you are interested in learning more about the history of Auschwitz the wikipedia page is comprehensive and consistent with what we learned during our tour.  The BBC has also produced a solid documentary on Auschwitz which can be seen via Netflix.