Auschwitz-Birkenau
On the first day of 3'rd grade, my teacher pulled out a black marker and wrote a series of numbers on our left forearm.
"This is how I will identify each of you for the remainder of the year. How does that make you feel? Uncomfortable?
Confused? Angry? Well, I want to share my story with every single one of you if you'll let me", she said, "because my number, you see... was permanent."
Miss Horowitz was someone that everyone should meet in their lifetime. She left such a lasting impact on my life, and I will never forget the lessons she taught me about faith in humanity, the will to survive, and the power of forgiveness.
As a holocaust survivor, she gave us a much deeper insight into one of the darkest moments in history, one that forever changed her entire life, and in that year she forever changed ours.
The skies were dark and moody as I passed through the gates of Auschwitz. The first thing visible was the infamous sign "Arbeit Macht Frei" ("work sets you free"). This was something that was told to everyone who entered Auschwitz.
The unfortunate truth was: most never got out; in fact, less than 10% who walked through the gates survived.
Visiting the memorial was a haunting experience. It made me realize that knowing the facts, doesn't mean we know the story. And that even the facts take on a different aspect when you're standing in the spot where it all took place. It isn't somewhere you 'want' to visit, but it's somewhere that you should visit, somewhere that is guaranteed to have an effect on you.
Why visit Auschwitz?
I wouldn’t go as far as saying everyone should visit, but for me personally, it felt important.
World War II is one of the most important events in history, and the holocaust one of the most horrifying acts humans have committed. And right at the center of it was the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp - the largest Nazi camp where 6,000 people were killed in gas chambers each day. Of the estimated 1.3 million people sent there, an estimated 1.1 million died - most of which were Jews sent from all parts of Europe.
The preservation of these camps serve as a reminder that humans were capable of such horrific acts and helps us pay respect to those who were tortured and killed there. To me, it felt important to visit as an act of recognition, respect, and remembrance.
What you need to know when visiting Auschwitz -
Book your tickets ahead of time because there are tons of visitors daily. When you visit, you are required to join a guided group tour. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and available in different languages.
There are rules and regulations for visiting. There’s an instruction as you enter to ‘behave with due solemnity and respect. Visitors are obliged to dress in a manner befitting a place of this nature.’
Drones are restricted and you need a permit to use one. However, photography is allowed but not with flash or a tripod, and not at all in two specific areas: Block 4 Room 5 and underground Block 11.
Consider the content, this isn’t your typical tourist activity. Most people are not prepared for this particularly intense experience.
Getting there: Visiting Auschwitz from Krakow -
Auschwitz is located just outside of the town Oświęcim, about 70 km away from Kraków. Most buses depart from the main bus station every hour if you are taking the MDA dworzec autobosowy (it is right next to the train station). It will take around 1.5 hours each away and will drop you off right by the Auschwitz Memorial.
Once you arrive they will scan your electronic entry pass and hand you a headset. You are then separated into groups with a guide. The guides will speak in a normal voice and headsets help to keep the atmosphere in the memorial appropriately solemn, quiet, and respectful.
What to expect when visiting Auschwitz I?
Auschwitz camp I is the original camp, founded in 1949. It was originally a prison for political prisoners, and evolved to become a concentration camp where prisoners were slowly killed due to their inhumane treatment. Then in the later years, it evolved again into a mass extermination center, where thousands were gassed upon arrival daily.
You will be given a thorough tour of several of the brick barracks buildings and learn about the cruel and shocking practices of the guards. You will see heartbreaking exhibits, including a corridor of photos of former prisoners and horrifying collections of inmates belongings and hair. On top of that, you will see where medical experiemnets were conducted and where torture and executions took place.
The most heartbreaking thing to see was the content of what people packed. It broke my heart to think of the glimmer of hope that they had, not knowing where the hell they were being taken to.
What to expect when visiting Auschwitz II?
The camp at Birkenau is one of many extensions to Auschwitz that were built to house more prisoners - and by far, the biggest. This is where the extermination reached its most horrifying and industrial scale. There were four gas chambers and crematoriums here and about 90% of the victims of Auschwitz died in Birkenau.
Freight trains would bring victims to the main gate when they arrived, to be ‘selected’. Those who seemed strong enough to work were selected to stay, and the rest were sent to gas chambers immediately.
As you walk past the huge expanses of electric fences and ominous guard towers, you could take a peek inside some of the remaining barracks, to see the terrible, cramped living conditions for those not immediately executed. It’s unimaginable how these prisoners lived in the cold in those wooden sheds. You’ll also be able to see the remains of the gas chambers and crematoria, blown up by the Nazis before the fled the camps to hide what they had done.
You will leave emotionally drained after your tour as I know I was. The tour may take a few hours, but the effects of it lingered much longer.
