Poland suffered tremendously during World War II as its cities were only “liberated” from one occupier to be replaced by another. As the Cold War came to fruition the Polish peoples endured a prolonged occupation at the hands of the Soviets. However, the concentration camps, such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, still stood on Polish soil. Although the Soviets proved to be harsh occupiers, they did work with the West German peoples to transform this hellish place of death into a place for education and remembrance.
My first steps into Auschwitz were amongst the most emotional moments I have ever experienced. As I gazed upon the sinister sign that greeted the thousands that died in the camp, “arbeit macht frei,” the reality set in that I was now in a place where approximately a million individuals died. This phrase, which translates into “work sets you free,” was just one of the many lies the Nazis told the Jews, Gypsies, political prisoners, and more that were sent to the camp. Simply put, there was no hope. There was no hope for freedom. The guard towers and electrical barbed wire killed most that tried to escape if they somehow made it past Nazi execution. These camps were designed for industrial scale murder, a fact made obvious by the museum. I appreciated the design of the museum in this regard; there was no attempt to censor the horrors. Instruction on the Holocaust should not be censored; our global society must appreciate that these atrocities arose democratically.
The entrance to Auschwitz-I
The “Gate of Death” through which trains entered Auschwitz-Birkenau
As we walked through the camp we saw many remnants from its victims. For me this made the humanity lost in the Holocaust all the more tangible. It is one thing to see pictures of these objects in textbooks; it is entirely another to see the shoes of a child sitting amongst the other 70,000 stolen from Holocaust victims only feet away. When we made over to Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was the largest section of the camp, reality further set in. I was astonished at the sheer size of the camp. In order for the Nazis to massacre on an industrial level this camp was filled to capacity and its crematoriums and gas chambers constantly functioning. All that really remains of these structures are their skeletons; however, this is more than enough to convey their capacity to kill and the suffering they caused. As we neared the end of our tour of the camp we walked down the same path that those condemned to death did. Only after one of my colleagues, Jon Schulman, exceptionally spoke specifically about the role of luck in surviving such a place was I really able to reflect on that walk towards death. He also discussed the reversion to primal instincts in order to survive inside the camp.
Remains of a crematorium/gas chamber in Auschwitz-Birkenau
Tracks where individuals were off loaded to suffer
The combination of being at Auschwitz and Jon’s speech caused me to question whether it is inherent in humanity to carry out such evils as the Holocaust. Although I have yet to satisfactorily answer this question I have gained great insight to guide my thoughts from this experience.
Where the huts used to be for the victims in Auschwitz-Birkenau
View through gate into Auschwitz-Birkenau