The end of the road.
Written: Nov 02 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Proof that the Holocaust happened.
Cons: Proof that the Holocaust happened...
The Bottom Line: If you have an interest in the Holocaust, you should visit Auschwitz if you can.
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| bsproles's Full Review: Oswiecim (Auschwitz) |
This epinion is a long time in coming. It’s taken me many years to fully think about what it all means.
In this review, I've tried to structure it so you can see the things I saw, and hopefully feel the emotions I felt as I walked through the two camps. I have absolutely not compromised my feelings in any way - this is, to the best of my recollection, how I was feeling at the time.
This review is simply my attempt to keep a necessary piece of history alive, with the hope that it will keep something like this from ever happening again.
Comments are welcome and appreciated.
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Wie fängt man an den Völkermord zu beschreiben? Doch, wie *kann* man sich die Leere die bleibt vorstellen?
(How does one begin to describe Genocide? Indeed, how can one imagine the emptiness which remains?)
It was a pleasant enough day as we drove from Krakow to the small town of Oświęcim, Poland. After so many years of interest in World War II and the Holocaust, I was finally here - I was finally visiting Auschwitz for the first time.
History of KZ-Auschwitz: While Auschwitz may be the most famous of the concentration camps (Konzentrationslager), it was not the first. Dachau (built in the city of Dachau, just outside of Munich) was the first in 1933. While misery, suffering and death certainly occurred here, Dachau was never intended to be (and was never used as) one of the mass-extermination camps (Vernichtungslager.)
Auschwitz was built by the Nazis in 1940. It was originally used for Polish and German political prisoners and POWs, and through its liberation in 1945, its primary function was that of a concentration camp.
On January 20th, 1942 in the small suburb of Wannsee in Berlin, a meeting was held to discuss die Endlösung (The Final Solution.) This would add a secondary function to Auschwitz soon thereafter - that of an extermination camp.
Auschwitz is made up of 3 camps:
Auschwitz I - This was the Stammlager (Main camp), where most of the SS officers lived and worked. The prison blocks were also located in this camp, as well as the medical block where Mengele performed his inhuman experiments.
Auschwitz II - Birkenau - Located 3km away in the city of Brzezinka, this was by far the largest of any of the concentration camps, and where most of the killing took place. The trains from other camps pulled directly into Birkenau, and selections were made immediately after the disoriented prisoners were forced from the train cars by screaming solidiers and dogs barking.
Auschwitz III - Buna - This camp was located in Monowice, also sometimes known as Monowitz. Most of the prisoners assigned to this camp were slave labor for major German businesses, such as I.G. Farben and the Hermann Göring Werke.
This review only discusses the first 2 camps, since those were the only 2 I visited (and I honestly am not sure if Auschwitz III is still standing - it was really considered to be more of a sub-camp than anything else.)
So knowing this bit of history, let's begin.
As we pulled into the parking lot next to the main camp, my first feeling of disgust had nothing to do with Auschwitz itself, but rather what was located right next to the entrance - a HOT DOG stand...next to the museum dedicated to the memory of the millions of Jews who died there. It was really tasteless and very offensive. We visited in 2004 - I hope it's not there anymore.
Walking into the main office, we purchased some guidebooks (about 3 zloty), and in the next room was a small cafeteria. I can't say I was particularly hungry, but I did want to get some caffeine in my system. Walking out of the rear exit, we walked past a few small huts selling touristy items (VHS tapes, cameras, etc.) and saw the gate.
Arbeit Macht Frei (Work brings Freedom) - Yes, the greatest lie in the history of Nazi propaganda. There was no work that could free someone from this place. For a moment there was a sense of wonder, then dread, and finally anger. With that feeling, I walked through the gate into hell.
The Main Camp: Auschwitz I is made up of "blocks" - various buildings where prisoners worked, lived (so to speak), were punished or incarcerated (or murdered), and it was also the primary working area for the SS officers.
Just inside the main gate, there is a signpost which talks about a musical band which played every morning and night as the prisoners left and returned to the camp, in order for the Nazis to count them more easily.
Most of the blocks are now museum exhibits, showing such things as original prison uniforms and even original artwork done by the prisoners themselves. Here I need to warn you - a lot of this is pretty tough going. You may see a beautiful stained-glass window...showing victims burning in flames (this one nearly made me cry), or some original artwork of a prisoner throwing himself onto the electrified fence - at least he got to decide his manner of death.
Now, not every piece of art in these exhibits is so morbid - a lot of the art is filled with hope of eventual freedom, but you do need to realize that there is a great potential for sadness when you really start exploring.
Commandant Gallows: One of the first open air exhibits you'll find after entering the gates is where the original commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höß, was hanged sometime after the Nuremberg Trials (he wasn't part of that infamous dock - he only gave testimony about the camp during those trials.)
Vorsicht! Hochspannung - Lebensgefahr! - This is a sign you will see frequently around both camps. It means: "Watch out! High voltage - life-endangering!" You will see these barbed wire fences everywhere you go both in Auschwitz I and II - to me it felt like just another means to control people, rather than just to keep them contained in a certain area.
While walking past some buildings, we came to a small grassy hill with a giant chimney built into the side of it. I immediately knew what it was, and knew that I had to go in to see for myself.
In die Gaskammer (Into the gas chamber): Walking in, you first see a sign requesting that you not speak in this area to give respect to those who died here. Going further, I came into a huge open area with a single yellow light in the ceiling, lighting our way. I could see stains on the walls, apparently the side-effect of the Zyklon-B. To the left were 2 ovens, just slightly out of actual reach, but the doors were open, and I got a horrible feeling in my stomach when I saw what appeared to be ashes inside.
Our final major stop along the way was to Block 11, also commonly known as the "Death Block". We saw many instruments of torture, which I will let you see for yourself, as well as the underground area where the jail cells were located.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe: We saw the cell of this man, Rajmund Kolbe, a Jesuit priest who offered his life in exchange for that of Franciszek Gajowniczek, who lamented that he still had a family in Poland. Forty one years after his murder, Kolbe was canonized a saint, and Mr. Gajowniczek was present for the event.
The Death Wall: In between blocks 10 and 11 is a long alleyway, at the end of which is a brick wall. Standing in front of that wall is a large black area called the Death Wall. This is where most resistance movement leaders or political prisoners were shot, but no one was safe here - not even children.
These days, there are plenty of flowers and memorials in front of this wall, but you can still see holes in the black material and you know exactly what this area was really meant for.
Leaving early: After seeing many things, the crowds started to pick up and we had a decision to make - either go to Birkenau, or stay and see the other exhibits. I had to visit the other camp, so unfortunately we missed seeing Kanada (the warehouse where the prisoners' belongings were kept - it was called that name because the Germans believed Canada was a land of riches.) We also never made it to the medical block (to see where Josef Mengele did his inhuman experiments) because the guidebook didn't do a very good job of actually showing you where the buildings were. I will make it a point to return to Auschwitz one day and finish a full tour of the camp.
To Birkenau: Three kilometers from the main camp lies Auschwitz II - Birkenau. This is an absolutely mammoth camp, but it's much easier to get through because it's a very open area. Again let me warn you here - there aren't many things to actually see here. Birkenau is a very stark place.
The Death Gate: I know, I know, too much death, but sadly that's what this place is. This is the first thing you see as you pull up into the parking lot outside of Birkenau - the huge gaping mouth which allowed trains to pass into the heart of the camp and let the prisoners out on the ramps. This is where Dr. Josef Mengele held his macabre "selections", weeding out the people who wouldn't be useful to the war effort.
As you walk into the camp itself, there's not all that much to see - to the left are rows upon rows of both wooden and concrete bunkers where hundreds of people were forced to live. To the right, more of the same. Down the middle of the road, you see the railroad track ending at the ramps I just discussed.
There's also a small building which houses the communal toilets - essentially a long slab of cement which has holes about a foot apart. This small latrine was intended for thousands of people. With this in mind, there's a sign in German which reads "Verhalte dich ruhig", or "behave calmly".
As you walk deeper into the camp, you begin to see more and more birch trees. Birkenau literally can be translated as "Birch Alley", which would be an appropriate name, although I think the name Birkenau was actually just a transliteration of the Polish name of the city where it's located - Brzezinka.
A Monument for remembrance: Located almost at the halfway point of the camp is a gigantic series of short steps leading up to a stone memorial to all those who perished at the camp.
A Horrible Stench: As we walked past these beautiful birch trees, I stopped and had a sinking feeling in my stomach. The air suddenly stank of burned flesh, and my skin crawled. I asked my mother if she smelled it too, and she nodded. For that brief moment, I almost felt like the camp was still in operation, and we hurried to the next building along the way.
The Sauna: This was actually a useful building in such a depressing place. Its primary use was for delousing prisoners and clothing, and it was also the building where newly arrived prisoners were registered into the camp. This included cutting off hair, getting number tattoos, and receiving their striped uniforms.
Towards the rear of the camp, we found the remains of the various crematoria. Looking closer, on the edge of many areas, people left flowers, or left small piles of stones as a remembrance. One particular thing I saw was a small Israeli flag sitting amongst the rubble - a photo I felt I needed to take.
The Ashen Pool: Close by to the ruins, I saw a rectangular shaped body of water covered by a sickly-green overgrowth of moss and algae. In front of this pond stood 4 marble headstones, each in one of four langauges: Polish, Russian, English and German.
Bending down to look at the English words, I read:
To the memory
Of the men, women and children
Who fell victim to the Nazi genocide.
Here lie their ashes. May their souls rest in peace.
Standing back up, I had tears in my eyes, and anger at what happened to these innocent victims.
At this point, there wasn't much else to see, so we turned around to head back to the entrance.
The Green Mile: Wondering how really large this camp was, I decided to time myself walking from the very back of the camp back to the front gate. Walking at a normal pace, it took us nearly 30 minutes going one way. I think the whole Birkenau visit took us nearly 3 hours to look around at everything there was to see (including the few exhibits they had in the Sauna building.)
The Bottom Line: If you have any serious interest in the Holocaust, you owe it to yourself to try to visit Auschwitz, the largest still-standing concentration/extermination camp still in existence.
It will be a difficult journey, but nothing worth doing is ever truly easy.
Also, wie fängt man an den Völkermord zu beschreiben? Man kann es nur mit einem kleinen Wort so sagen - Auschwitz.
Therefore, how does one begin to describe genocide? One can say it with only a single word - Auschwitz.
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Thanks for reading, comments would be extremely appreciated.
Some useful links:
http://www.auschwitz.org.pl/
http://www.remember.org/
http://www.remember.org/auschwitz/
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
bsproles
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Member: Bryan Sproles
Location: New Orleans, LA
Reviews written: 67
Trusted by: 67 members
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