This last Saturday we went to Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps in Poland. It is very difficult to put the experience into words. It is one thing to hear the stories and see pictures of the camps, but it is another thing entirely to actually be there. Needless to say, it was very intense, and very depressing. The weather while we were there was cold and rainy, which enhanced the sad mood very well. We actually saw the places where so many people were killed during the Holocaust (1,100,000 people to be exact). We stood in the gas chamber of Crematorium I, saw the Death Wall where many people were executed, and were able to see the site of the hanging of Polish prisoners who resisted. We also saw rooms full of things that the Nazis had taken from the people that they murdered, including hair, glasses, shoes, clothes, suitcases, brushes, and other things. Seeing the hair was a tipping point for some people, and a few started to cry.

                When we went to Birkenau we were able to see the living conditions in the women’s camp. There were 6,000 women in the camp, with 1,000 in each block. The blocks were not equipped to hold 1,000 women, and so there was serious overcrowding. They also did not even build bathrooms for the women until about a year after the camp was opened, and even then they only built 5 bathrooms/washrooms for 6,000 women to share. The examples our tour guide gave us as a result of these living conditions were extremely disturbing. It makes me very thankful for the living conditions that I have.

                The Jews that were brought to Auschwitz had been told that they were being taken to Poland to work, and so many were hopeful of a new and better life. They had no idea the horrors they would encounter when they arrived. This makes the story all the sadder. The suitcases that we saw all had names written on them, so that the owners would be able to find them again after they had settled in. We also had learned earlier in the trip that the Jews believed that if their bodies were moved from their graves after they died, they would not go to heaven. This makes the Nazis even more cruel, as they cremated the bodies, therefore ensuring that they Jews would not go to heaven, as far as their beliefs went.

                It is difficult to let yourself believe that mankind could possibly be responsible for something so horrible. As much as the trip was very saddening, I am glad I was able to have the experience. It really puts other things into perspective. My own problems seem so insignificant after visiting the concentration camps. A quote they had in the camp was “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it”. Hopefully the presence of museums and concentration camps with ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten, and I pray that mankind will never again be responsible for such a tragedy.

Auschwitz

The sign when you enter Auschwitz: "Work sets you free".

The suitcases taken from the people brought into Auschwitz.

Shoes taken from people brought into Auschwitz.

The gas chamber.

The crematorium.

The Death Wall used for executions.

Birkenau/the railway prisoners were brought in on.