Visiting Auschwitz as well as the town it was built in, Oświęcim, was a deeply interesting and highly thought provoking experience. We first visited the town of Oświęcim, which after the German invasion of Poland in 1939 was renamed Auschwitz by the occupiers. There, we saw the town square, in its heyday it would have been flooded with people, whether they were selling or buying various items or just using it as a meeting point. We also saw a lot of the, still standing, buildings from that era and learned a little about their history and how their purpose changed under the occupation. We were shown the town first, before the camp. This was to give us an idea of what was taken away from the world by the holocaust, as it is hard to grasp how terrible of an event it was without first understanding what was there before.
Once we had finished in Oświęcim, we arrived at Auschwitz I. Auschwitz itself is actually three camps, all with a different purpose, in the same general area. This camp was originally a polish army barracks, but was repurposed as a concentration camp. Here, most of the old cell blocks have been converted to museums and memorials, showcasing many different aspects of the holocaust and Auschwitz itself. One of the more shocking exhibits was the book of names. A gigantic tome containing four million names of the six million that were killed during the course of the holocaust. The goal is to eventually have it contain all six million, though this is a tough goal to accomplish.
After Auschwitz I, we came to Auschwitz II, Birkenau. A Germanized name for the small village that the camp was built on meaning birch trees, as there are many in the area. This was the death camp, where the majority of people would have died, an aspect which is reflected by its presentation. The camp felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, just a flat field with a few trees here and there, almost desolate. This was more of a memorial than a museum, very little restoration and only signs to give information when relevant.
At the end of the trip after the sun had set, the Rabitzen who was with us led us in a memorial service for those victimised in the Holocaust which was very moving. Once finished, we got back on the coach, made our way to the airport and flew home. Overall, I learned a great deal about the holocaust, the trip left me with a lot to think about and a new understanding of the holocaust and Auschwitz. If you ever get a chance to visit Auschwitz I implore you to take it, it is incredibly well-handled and a transformative experience.
Freddie Ford - L6
