KRAKOW AND AUSCHWITZGrey sky. Raining falling. Cold. Quietness. The mood was down in the mini bus on this fall Monday morning leaving Krakow. A couple of people dared to talk, but in 10 minutes the conversations slowed down and silent almost took over the bus. We could only hear the noise from the engine. But inside my head, many sounds interfered with this beautiful ride through Poland's countryside. My mind was trying to imagine the sounds of early 1940s when millions of people did this same trip, but to their own death.
Visiting a concentration camp is not a fun event, and in fact, my parents refuse to do it. I respect that.
Some people asked me why I wanted to go. And besides that this is part of the history, I could not find a reasonable answer why I would "enjoy" this visit.
But I guess this saying by George Santanna says everything: "The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again".
And the best way is to be there, as close as possible to the history.
Reading about millions being killed is one thing, but seeing the little shoes of babies who were killed, and mugshots of people who were exterminated as soon as they arrived in the camp, thinking they were going to have a shower, is another thing. Seeing the human hair- from dead women, who were shaved right after being killed in the gas chambers - ready to be SOLD to textile companies, is just creepy. What a cruel world! It gives you the real dimension about what the holocaust was. But not the total one. No one, except those who survived it, can estimate the real size of the damage.
It is a disturbing part of our recent history, but unfortunately, not the only one. Other people have been persecuted and exterminated after that, and after, and after. The unjustified killings - as if killings could be justified - are still happening everyday.
Maybe those horrible things that I saw in Auschwitz - that are not even nearly close to the complete reality there during the war- will have a positive impact in those who also saw them. Although is was really sad - to the point of tears- certainly it changed my way of seeing things. And that's why I went.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest of Nazi Germany's concentration camps and extermination camps, operational during World War II.
The camp took its German name from the hosting town of Oświęcim. Following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, Oświęcim was annexed by Nazi Germany and renamed Auschwitz, the town's German name. Birkenau, the German translation of Brzezinka (birch tree), refers to a small Polish village nearby which later was mostly destroyed by the Germans.
The camp commandant, Rudolf Höss, testified at the Nuremberg Trials that up to 3 million people had died at Auschwitz. The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum has revised this figure to 1.1 million, about 90% of whom were Jews from almost every country in Europe. Most victims were killed in Auschwitz II's gas chambers using Zyklon B; other deaths were caused by systematic starvation, forced labor, lack of disease control, individual executions, and purported "medical experiments".
In 1947, in remembrance of the victims, Poland founded a museum at the site of the first two camps. By 1994, some 22 million visitors - 700,000 annually - had passed through the iron gate crowned with the motto Arbeit macht frei (Work brings freedom). The anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on January 27, 1945 is celebrated on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Holocaust Memorial Day in the United Kingdom, and other similar memorial days in various countries.
The camp took its German name from the hosting town of Oświęcim. Following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, Oświęcim was annexed by Nazi Germany and renamed Auschwitz, the town's German name. Birkenau, the German translation of Brzezinka (birch tree), refers to a small Polish village nearby which later was mostly destroyed by the Germans.
The camp commandant, Rudolf Höss, testified at the Nuremberg Trials that up to 3 million people had died at Auschwitz. The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum has revised this figure to 1.1 million, about 90% of whom were Jews from almost every country in Europe. Most victims were killed in Auschwitz II's gas chambers using Zyklon B; other deaths were caused by systematic starvation, forced labor, lack of disease control, individual executions, and purported "medical experiments".
In 1947, in remembrance of the victims, Poland founded a museum at the site of the first two camps. By 1994, some 22 million visitors - 700,000 annually - had passed through the iron gate crowned with the motto Arbeit macht frei (Work brings freedom). The anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on January 27, 1945 is celebrated on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Holocaust Memorial Day in the United Kingdom, and other similar memorial days in various countries.
This was the last crematorium still standing. In the beginning they used to cremate the bodies, but later, when there were just too many bodies, the Nazis used mass graves to buried the dead ones.
MORE FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Auschwitz I was the original camp, and it served as the administrative center for the whole complex. The site for the camp, in former Austrian military barracks, was chosen on January 25, 1940 by the Nazis. On April 27, 1940, Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler signed the order that initates establishment of Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Germany.
On May 5, 1940 Rudolf Höss was chosen as the first commandant of Auschwitz Concentration Camp. On June 15, 1940 the Nazis open Auschwitz Concentration Camp, officially to provide 100,000 labour force for I.G. Farben Factory.
The camp was initially used for interning Polish intellectuals and resistance movement members, then also for Soviet Prisoners of War. Common German criminals, "anti-social elements" and 48 German homosexuals were also imprisoned there. Jews were sent to the camp as well, beginning with the very first shipment (from Tarnów). At any time, the camp held between 13,000 and 16,000 inmates; in 1942 the number reached 20,000. The entrance to Auschwitz I was—and still is—marked with the sign "Arbeit Macht Frei", or "work makes (one) free". The camp's prisoners who left the camp during the day for construction or farm labor were made to march through the gate to the sounds of an orchestra. Contrary to what is depicted in several films, the majority of the Jews were imprisoned in the Auschwitz II camp, and did not pass under this sign.
This is a photo showing the moment when the people - mostly Jews - arrived in Auschwitz.
After visiting the Auschwitz exposition, we drove to Birkenau, another part of the prison, close by. Many prisoners houses are still standing there.
A MORE UPLIFTING REST OF THE DAY
A MORE UPLIFTING REST OF THE DAY
I had about 2 hours to digest what I had just seen before I met my parents back in the hotel. Since we were about 6 hours from our train to Budapest, we decide to say goodbye to beautiful Krakow and lovely Poland. We walked around what it used to be the Jewish neighbourhood before the war, and went back to the old town. We enjoyed Poland very much. I can't wait to talk about this trip with my Polish friends, and hang out at Roncesvalles, Toronto's Polish area (very close of our new condo).
This is really funny. Cars are allowed to park on half side of the sidewalk.
At 10pm we embarcked in another overnight train adventure, this time to Budapest. Now that we consider ourselves a bit more experienced, we had a nicer journey.
Budapest - the last city of this trip - here we go!!!!
At 10pm we embarcked in another overnight train adventure, this time to Budapest. Now that we consider ourselves a bit more experienced, we had a nicer journey.
Budapest - the last city of this trip - here we go!!!!
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