Auschwitz, Poland.

Entrance to Auschwitz.

In January 2010, sixty five years after it's liberation, Emma and I went to visit Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Auschwitz is about a two hour bus journey from Krakow in the middle of the Polish countryside. It is a place that has always fascinated me.  Over a million people were murdered by the Nazis in this death camp during the Second World War. Auschwitz is a chilling memorial to the Jews, gypsies, Slavs, homosexuals, communists and other minority groups who were murdered within the barbed wire fences of this death camp. Auchwitz is broken up into two camps, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II Birkenau.



Emma at one of the many watch towers that guards
the former death camp.

The day of our visit to the former Nazi death camp, was freezing. Emma and I both wore a few layers of tops, jumpers and coats and we were still freezing. My fingers felt like they were being stabbed with knives of ice every time I took off my gloves to take a picture. Our hats were pulled down over our ears to protect them from the chilling breeze and our scarves were wrapped tightly around our necks. The horrific thing is, in January 1945, thousands of people were made to walk out of the camps inappropriately dressed for the weather. Flimsy, light, pyjames-like clothing that offered no protection from the January weather. History remembers these forced treks through the snow as the Death Marches. Everytime that I hastily put my gloves back on or I fixed my scarf around my neck, I thought of the thousands of people in their thin garments, their bodies exposed to the cruel and biting elements.





This picture captures a sense of the bleakness.
The barracks seem to go on for miles.

As part of our organised tour, Emma and I were given a guided tour around the two camps. We first went to Auschwitz I. We were led through the gates with their infamously ironic slogan, "Arbeit Macht Frei", work makes you free. Incidentally, the week before our visit, the orginal cast iron sign had been stolen.  We entered the parade ground where the 'selections' were made. These selections, made by Nazi doctors, decided the fate of thousands. Some were sent to work, other sent directly to the gas chambers. We visited a number of the former barracks  that now house exhibitions. In one room, we were left speechless to discover a glass case full of human hair. When the Soviets liberated the camp, they found about 7000kg of hair in bags. The Nazis had shaven the heads of their victims and used it to make household items such as pillows. This part of the tour was the most chilling for me. Various barracks house exhibitions dedicated to the memory of persecuted nationalities. The gas chambers are still in tact and tour groups are actually brought down into them. Inside you can not help but feel unnerved by the eerie knowledge that thousands were murdered here every day.

Entrance to Auschwitz Birkeneau.
Check out how many layers I had on! Imagine
wearing pyjames-like clothing in this weather!

A short bus journey takes you to the second part of the Auschwitz camp. Here you can see the train tracks, watch towers and infinite rows of barracks. Each wooden barracks contains bunk beds, three stories high and a small stove used to (ineffectively) heat the room. Hundreds of people were cramped into these filthy barracks. Disease and hunger combining to intensify the horrors endured. This particular area is very eerie and the guides will tell you some horrific stories of death and survivial behind the wire fences.

It is a cliche, I know, but words are not enough when it comes to describing Auschwitz. I would highly recommend it and I think it is important that people visit places like this. Excuses like 'it is too depressing' are weak and pathetic compared with the suffering that individuals experienced here during the time of the Nazi reign of terror. Despite it's awful history, today at Auschwitz, one does get a sense of peace about the place. This dark chapter in the European history books has been dealt with and continues to be confronted and discussed with every visitor that passes under the ominious 'Arbeit Macht Frei' sign.