Most people have heard of Hitler and his aggressive pursuit of ‘The Final Solution’ to eliminate the Jewish race from the face of the earth, through the use of extermination camps. The largest of these, Auschwitz (located in Poland) can be visited today and provides an experience like no other.
First, if we are to understand what this facility was and the context of its establishment then we must answer two questions.
Who was Hitler and What was the Holocaust?
Adolf Hitler was a politician who rose to become dictator of Germany and pursue a relentless agenda, known as the Nazi regime. This saw unimaginable persecution of Jewish people throughout Europe in an attempt to eradicate this race of people from the earth. The Holocaust is the term given to this genocide that took place, that saw more than six million Jews murdered.
Anti-semitism (hostility towards or discrimination against the Jews) had been simmering for sometime before WWII and Hitler used these feelings to build a calculated and ruthless regime against these people; in favour of maintaining a ‘superior’ race. Part of this was the creation of extermination (death) camps, Auschwitz being one of many. It was in these camps that Jewish people (and others outcasted from society) were starved, tortured, stripped of their clothing and gassed to death in chambers built with this specific purpose in mind.
Experiencing Auschwitz
My main purpose in going to Poland was to visit Auschwitz. I have since discovered that it is a wonderful country to visit with several other draw-cards, however that is a story for another day. I planned a two night stay in Krakow (the nearest large city) and booked a day tour through my hotel. You could also do this on various online sites. Once our arrangements were set I went to bed feeling apprehensive, as I was about to experience something so far removed from our world today; something I had only read about in books.
The following day, as we journeyed on a small bus from the city of Krakow, I knew it would be a difficult and challenging day; confronting my feelings on humanity and unnerving me in painful, yet necessary ways.
Upon arrival we queued with our group at the entrance and met our guide who would be with us for the duration of our visit. Our guide spoke perfect English, however, there are tour guides that are fluent in many major European languages, and of course, the native language of Polish So, in effect, if you are non-English speaking it is possible to work around this.
The guides all have a personal connection to the camp and the Holocaust, usually through a family member. They are incredibly knowledgeable, open to questions, and I completely admire and respect them for talking everyday to visitors about a painful period of their past.
The train tracks that represented the last trip the persecuted people would ever take, and never come back from
On the tour I got to see both Auschwitz and Auschwitz II (otherwise known as Birkenau). I saw the inside of a gas chamber where so many took their last breath, the area where captives would have slept (almost on top of each other in cramped bunks with some laying on concrete floors) and the facilities used to relieve oneself with ZERO privacy or dignity. I saw numerous portraits of people, both young and old, who had lost their life in the camp along with their ages. But the most disturbing and unsettling thing I saw was the glass cabinet display of human hair and possessions that were stripped from the prisoners upon arrival. Baby shoes, glasses, hats, and regular clothing. And yes, you just read that right, human hair! The Germans shaved off the hair of the Jews and took away any element of dignity they could until there was virtually nothing left.
The pile of belongings and hair went from the floor to the ceiling, and I just could not believe that one human would subject another to this type of treatment. I remember standing there, deeply unnerved and with a devastated heart that the anger, bitterness and hatred in the past resulted in…THIS!?! It is a moment I will never forget, as it is forever forged in my memory and will stay with me the rest of my life.
At the time I felt it too disrespectful and insensitive to take photos throughout the day and wanted to be present in the moment and absorb everything our guide was saying, as hard as it is to digest what you see and hear. Currently, I am planning another backpacking trip around Europe and will return once again to Auschwitz as both the historian, and school teacher, in me would like to capture authentic images to educate and share with my students; and others. [note: the images used in this post have been ethically sourced from others that have made the same journey]
If you decide to take photos PLEASE be sensitive and respectful. Remember, it is NOT the time to smile and take a ‘selfie’ or try and get a shot with all the right angles for the ‘gram’. Aim to capture things from your point of view to show others what these prisoners saw everyday.
If you decide to make the journey here I was going to suggest that you truly let this place (and all that it represents) in, but I feel that this is inevitable. This place will touch in ways you never thought it would and penetrate deep into your heart and soul. Just a warning, you may feel slightly numb and unable to process what you have seen for a little while, and that is ok. It actually took me a few days to work through my thoughts and feelings and direct them in the right way. That being said, I strongly believe it is an experience we must force ourselves to have as it will no doubt evoke compassion and empathy, but put a fire in your belly about the way we treat others. I certainly want my legacy to be that I embody kindness, justice, positive empowerment of individuals and standing up for those who don’t know how to — What do you want yours to be?
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