Auschwitz

Saturday, March ? 2011

Today we went to Krakow, Poland. I thought a LOT about Paulina! I kept wondering why she would love somewhere like here. It feels so poverty striken, poor, dirty - and she's none of those things. She's a strong, livelt woman who has serious drive and goals in life. Her vibrant personality doesnt match her country (Paulina I hope that's not offensive! It's just not YOU!)

We slept in a very run-down, dirty, sleeper train last night. I was afraid to use the pillows. We were warned to keep our belongings on our person at all times because gyps aiesnd pick-pockets sneak into rooms at night. As I left to brush my teeth with the nasty train water (HUGE MISTAKE oh my gosh), I passed a guy and he said, "i heard the bathrooms are pretty bad" and i said, "uh, yeah. Seriously, sick'. We got to talking and it turns out he and his fiance were Texans!! What are the odds?! He led me over to her and we (of course) hit it off right away. We found out we had the same general itinerary, so we agreed to meet up in the morning so we could travel together.

Their cabin mate was a Polish guy, so he turned into our tour guide for the main part of the train station. The terminals were quite separate from the main ticket building, so he helped get us around.  Polish sort of looks like chinese to us, so this proved to be quite helpful. We parted ways with our tour guide and the four of us got onto a train that took us from Krakow into Auschwitz. This train was SO slow. I could have probably run next to it and kept up. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but it was VERY slow and rickety. I'm pretty confident that these trains were the same ones that traveled around in WWII.

Once we arrived, to the edge of the city, we found out that the Auschwitz camp was only about a mile walk from where we were. The weather was mildly tolerable so we bundled up and headed out. The walk there was pretty pleasent. We saw agirl attempting to rollerblade on VERY uneven cobblestone streets which we found to be pretty funny. I SO wish i had taken a picture.

There were no signs that advertised the concentration camp, so when we actually arrived we didn't even know we were there. The front was quite unassuming. The entry gate was simple and appeared to be some sort of industrial place. We all had a feeling that this was the camp, so we walked around the gate and started our journey in.

Directly in front of us was a long, very straight, gravel road. To our left was a building with a heavy front door and a huge brick chimney coming out of the far side. At the time we didnt know what we were looking at, but later we discovered teh chilling fact that itwas the gas chamber and crematorium.

Further past this buidling were large, thick, concrete pillars that were perfectly spaced between one another and stretched down as far as our eyes could naturally see. Each pillar had an exact mirror replica placed directly across from it. In tight rows (formerly) electric barbed wire lines were neatly stacked from one end of the poles to the other. They were held in place by thick, chunky knobs.

We finally got to the main information building which i think was created as an after thought, years after the war ended. The place was a little disorienting - we werent sure where to go or what to do. Finally, we decided to spring for a guided tour. First on the to-do list was to watch a pretty old, short documentary on the general history of Auschwitz. Apparently, the camp began as a place for political prisoners who were Polish. Then, gypsies, homosexuals and criminals were placed, and finally, Jews were placed in the camp.

The Nazis chose Auschwitz in Poland for the location of the largest concentration camp for a few reasons - 1, because it was centrally located for the Germans and 2, because there were already very organized barracks lined up and functioning from (i think) some sort of previous military base.

We learned that in the far back, left barrack was where severe punishments and experiments were done. They had strange punishments like putting four people in a 4x4 cell and forced them to stand for days. In the basement of the barrack was where they first tested Cyclone B - the gas that eventually became the culprit for mass genocide. In the first trial run of the experiment, they didnt use enouhg gas and after 2 days, there were still a few people alive, suffering. Eventually they discovered the right amount of gas to be administered, and the process to kill only took 30 minutes.

We were able to walk the wide, gravel rows where the 'blocks" were. They were neatly placed and organized well. We walked past the section where Jewish musicians played music to help the prisoners march in time so the Nazi guards could count them more efficiently.

The people who cleaned up Auschwitz to make it into a walking museum took a few blocks and made them into a sort of walk-through viewing area with themes. In one block, they had huge, enclosed displays. One was half a room of brushes taken from prisoners. Another was shoes; another, pottery. The most chilling was the display of human hair. The room was appx 25 feet long, 6 feet high of hair that the Nazis had taken from the prisoners. The purpose was to mill the human hair into textiles like blankets and mattresses. This was the point where I felt like this was a completely surreal experience which suddenly became tangible and sobering.

Next, our guide took us to the enclosed courtyard where the Nazis murdered people by firing squad. I cannot explain the still, eerie feeling in this area. So much death, sadness and evil took place there.

Eventually we made our way back to the front of the camp where we had so nonchalantly passed the gas chambers upon our arrival. We walked into the vast, chilly chamber. Our guide said the Nazis would shove like 600 people into the space. I think there were 6 square openings in the ceiling where the gas pellets were dropped and the 30 minute genocide would start. Once dead, the Nazis had a Jewish prisoner take the bodies and burn them - a process that took two days. They let the Jewish prisoner do this task for 3 months, then they would murder them and have them replaced.

Being inside this terrible place is indescribable. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that something so sinister and inhumane could happen - that a person could be capable of something so horrific. We found out that the doctor who did all the experiments on the prisoners went into hiding but was eventually found and conveniently died before his trial date.

Next, we took a bus over to the other part of Auschwitz - the biggest part where wooden blocks went on for acres. This was also where the prisoners were herded into the camp like cattle in cattle cars by train.

Lance asked the guide the longest time someone survived the camp - apparently, there were a small few who came in the first transfer into Auschwitz and came out on Liberation day. This fact is pretty incredible, considering most people lasted between 2 weeks and 3 months.

Overall, I am so grateful I was able to visit this plae. I've read so much about this camp - i've always pictured it in my head and tried to imagine what it might be like. There's always been a little itch in me to actually visist, but i never really thought it could happen. Being in the actual place where so much heavy history took place was sobering and humbling. Still, looking back on the experience it almost feels fake, like it never happened...i think because it's SO unfathomable to me that a person could CREATE let alone execute such a large scale genocide .... Especially considering that Germany/Poland/Belgium etc are NOT 3rd world countries. I've left almost every European experience with more love and gratitude for my American heritage and citizenship.

I feel so blessed.