Our time in Poland was marked by a reflection on some of the most atrocious aspects of World War II. This area was occupied by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union as part of the brutal fighting on the Eastern Front. We had two main visits while in Krakow. First to Oskar Schindler’s factory and second to the concentration/death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The Oskar Schindler museum offered the most in depth look at the Nazi occupation of Poland that we have seen on the trip. It provides an immense amount of context for the Nazi occupation. The exhibits detail the history of the Polish state as it relates to Nazi ideology. The Nazis didn’t believe Poland was a legitimate state and used this to justify their brutality in dealing with the Polish people. This museum also introduced some of the early methods that the Nazis used to separate Jews from the rest of society such as the deportation to ghettos and concentration camps. Oskar Schindler was originally a businessman looking to take advantage of the cheap labor the Jews offered. However, upon seeing the horrid conditions imposed upon the Jews, he began to offer aid in whatever form he could. Several video logs document some of the Jews who survived the Holocaust with Schindler’s help. Each of them spoke of a compassionate man who exemplified the best of humanity. The museum also speaks to the unique situation of Poland at the end of the war. There was no happy ending for the Poles; these people who had endured the horrors of occupation under both Hitler and Stalin now found themselves under the oppressive rule of the Soviet Union.
At Auschwitz-Birkenau we discussed the importance of language. Primo Levi wrote that: “Then for the first time we became aware that our language lacks words to express this offence, the demolition of a man.” The horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau defy the ability of language. They exemplify the darkest evils that humanity is capable of when fear, instinct, and hate overcome rational thought and love. Our visit to Auschwitz was a harrowing experience. The installations displaying rooms full of human hair, shoes, pots and pans, glasses, and hairbrushes are overwhelming not just in their number but also what they represent. This destruction of all individuality defies adequate description. The monument to those murdered at Auschwitz was beyond striking. It features plaques in each language of those imprisoned in Auschwitz-Birkenau and English meant as a reminder and warning of the evils that took place at the camp. These plaques surround a central statue that depicts various aspects of the Holocaust. The whole monument expands far beyond these installations as they sit on multiple tiers of laid bricks, each of which represents one of the 1.5 million killed at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The experience was sobering to say the least, and the least is all there is to say. The site is a testament to the absolute evil humanity is capable of and visiting it has made these atrocities infinitely more palpable to me.
The infamous gates of Auschwitz I bearing the slogan “Arbeit Macht Frei” or “Work Makes You Free”
Gas chamber at Auschwitz I
Main gate from inside Auschwitz II-Birkenau
Memorial at Auschwitz II-Birkenau
English plaque at Auschwitz II-Birkenau
“For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe. Auschwitz-Birkenau. 1940-1945.”
Train tracks leading to the ruins of two crematoria at Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Now the site of the memorial.