First we went to Auschwitz main camp, where its small compare to Birkenau. Its all brick since it was first for the Polish army until the Nazis took it over and was used for Prisoners of war, Soviet, Polish people, then later on Jewish people from all over Europe.
You see all the shoes, suitcases with names, birthdays, and where they where from, kitchen pots, and then all the hair the SS kept to make later into fabric. That for me was where it hit you just how many people went threw the camp and never came back. It makes it more real. With all the items, you get a sense of not just the number but the people, what they wore, brought, what they thought was special, fashion sense. Since they also burned or shipped the rest to Germany its hard to think about just how many people where sent to Auschwitz and they had no idea what they were getting into and most of the time never out of.
Later we then went to Birkenau where it was the larger camp, where it is believed to house over 90,000 people at a time. With 300 barracks. There was the woman's side which was made of brick and the inside we saw was just like a hen house but bigger, with straw and rows of beds. We went into the wooden or men's side which where made in Germany for a stable for 52 horse but where made into a house for 400 people, with bunk beds 3 high and on both sides.
Then we went to look at the ruins of the gas chamber. When the Nazis knew the Red Army was coming they started to destroy the evidence along with the chambers, paper work, photos, bodies, person items. You can still get an idea of how the chamber worked.
As a kid I remember hearing stories, learning about it, watching tv shows, movies about WWII. But finally today I got a sense but just a small idea of what it was like. Its hard for my generation to image 1.1 million people being killed in one place. Its also hard to think that it happened in our grandparents time. It was only 60 years ago, which in human history is a second.
After today I think every President no matter from what country should have to come to a place like this to remember what can happen. Along not just to remember all the lives that where lost but also to make sure it ever happens again or even close to it.
As I was walking back to the gate I was thinking about all the veterans I remember back home and talking about the war. Also just all the small number of people that made it and how the rest of their life must of been.
Today was a day I will never forget, the images will be in my mind for a long time. With them all the people who you just see a small number of their photos, shoes, pots and pans.
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| sign "work makes you free" Arbeit macht frei |
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| wire around camp |
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| Gate into camp |
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| the bunks in the wooden part, was built for 52 horse but was use for 400 people |
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| end of train track, when right to gas chamber |
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| You can see just how huge the camp was. |
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