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Visit to Auschwitz is lifetime experience Posted
July 27, 2004
By JENNIFER BOEHM OSWIECIM , Poland— For five long years the name Auschwitz aroused fear among the populations of the Nazi-occupied territories. The site of Auschwitz (located in the outskirts of the small Polish city of Oswiecim) has become a symbol of the Holocaust, of genocide and terror, violation of basic human rights, and what racism, anti-Semitism and intolerance can lead to.
The Nazis created many different camps in occupied Europe, but Auschwitz has become the best known of them all. Lucas, a 10-year veteran tour guide for Auschwitz, says that several factors account for this: “The enormous number of victims, horrible crimes committed here, and the huge size of the camp [Auschwitz is composed of three different camps- Auschwitz I (the most famous), Auschwitz II (Birkenau), and Auschwitz III (Monowice)] contribute to why Auschwitz is so well known.” The camp was the largest center for the mass extermination of the European Jews and, at the same time, the largest concentration camp for prisoners of other nationalities. It was a place of slave labor, executions and criminal medical experiments, and of plunder on a gigantic scale. In fact, most prisoners had no idea what laid ahead of them. The Nazis had promised land and a better life to anyone who entered Auschwitz. When they arrived they were told that they had to be “disinfected” and were instantly led by the thousands, to the gas chambers. Lucas notes that because of the number of people that were immediately killed on arrival, without registration and identification with camp numbers, historians are still debating the total number of victims that perished. “Most people agree that the number comes close, if not passes, 1.5 million people,” says Lucas.
The entire history of Auschwitz and all the pain and suffering that human beings felt while they were prisoners in the camp cannot be summarized in one article. There are a number of books and websites that are dedicated to this subject. The official Web site can be reached at http://www.auschwitz.org.pl. As you enter Auschwitz through the main gate, the gate that prisoners passed each day on their way to work, you can see the cynical inscription: “Arbeit macht frei” (work brings freedom). Auschwitz is then broken up into themed museums. The prison blocks contain exhibitions portraying its history and traces the torment of the people who were murdered there. For Example, in Block 5 of Auschwitz, you are able to look at a collection of personal belongings seized from inmates. This collection includes thousands of shoes, brushes, eye glasses, suitcases with the names of deportees, and clothing. Living conditions, camp life, prisons and gas chambers can also be viewed. Sarah Phillips, 21, a resident of Northern Ireland says, “ Auschwitz was more terrible than I’d imagined. Looking at the actual death instruments in one building and then entering another building where real pictures of inmates lined the walls was very intense!” Most people agree that while disturbing it was something they needed to see. Paula Chambers, 25, agreed: “I learned so much about the Holocaust and the war in school that I had to see Auschwitz. I wanted to step into their shoes.”
If you visit Auschwitz, you must also see Birkenau. While you want to try to see everything, there are a couple of things you cannot miss. The most important objects in Birkenau are: the remnants of four crematoria, gas chambers and cremation pits and pyres, the special unloading area where the deportees were selected and a pond with human ashes. In Auschwitz such a construction is the “Death Block” (Block 11). Both camps contain well preserved blocks and prisoners’ barracks, the main entrance gates to the camps, watch towers, and barbed wire fences. Some of the constructions destroyed by the Nazis, who were attempting to destroy evidence, were rebuilt from the original elements.
After touring the two camps, I would suggest dedicated full day or two at the camps. There is just too much to see in only a couple of hours. You can take a guided tour (available in various languages) or take a self guided tour. If you tour the camps on your own I would suggest buying the guide book for only 3 zloty (approximately $1). It contains information about the background of Auschwitz and information on all the exhibits. It’s well worth the money! After touring the camps, I have this to say: It is a numbing experience. Standing in a place where an unbelievable amount of people were tortured and killed for being themselves is a hard thing to do, but an experience I would have regretted missing.
If You Go . . . Telephone: (0048-33) 843 20 22 Fax: (0048-33) 843 19 34 or 843 22 27
The museum is open every day: Admission to both camps is free. The official Web site is at http://www.auschwitz.org.pl.
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