Auschwitz-Birkenau

Work Brings Freedom

One of the reasons for coming to Krakow was the close proximity to Auschwitz. To get to Auschwitz from Krakow it is an hour and a half bus ride each way. There are two places that you can visit at Auschwitz, the Auschwitz Museum at Auschwitz I and Birkenau which is close by and called Auschwitz II.

Auschwitz I was a former Polish military base that was turned into a prison for anyone the Nazi’s felt like putting there. The entire facility is still standing and consists of many buildings that were used to house the prisoners, a gas chamber, crematorium and a “Death Wall”, where people were lined up and shot.

Auschwitz II is about 3 KM away and is much larger containing over 300 buildings during WWII. Most of the buildings here were destroyed by either the escaping Nazis, were burnt down or were demolished. This camp consisted of mainly housing for the prisoners and four gas chambers and crematoriums.

Here are my thoughts both good and bad about the place and my experience there:

There are too many people and too many groups in the museum and they are on a very tight time table so they move people though as quickly as possible. I did not join a tour but purchased the guide book and went on a self guided tour. I was run over several times while looking at the exhibits by tour guides and their groups. I often found myself rushing through exhibits to get ahead of the crowds.

Whoever did the English language translations should be fired and the money should be spent to make the corrections. If the translations were anywhere else they would be comical, but since it was Auschwitz it was just sad and disappointing.

It was really hard for me to connect with what happened there and how terrible it was. I know what happened and now that I have seen the places where it happened I have a little bit better feeling for it, but it just seems so unreal that something that terrible actually take place. Auschwitz II was enormous, as big as any fair ground that I have ever been to. The massive size of this place is frightening and overwhelming. There were thousands of tourists and the place looked empty. It isn’t like this place was full and they killed only those people, it was constantly being filled and then people were being killed so it could be refilled.

I understand people taking pictures, I took many as you can see below, what I don’t understand is posing in a picture at Auschwitz. It doesn’t sit right with me that there are people posing in front buildings where innocent people were tortured and killed with big smiles on their faces.

CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW TO SEE ALL OF TODAY'S PICTURES

10_21_09 Krakow small