MIXED FEELINGS IN AUSCHWITZ16 min read

THE KRAKOW SERIES PT2

KRAKOW, POLAND

Mixed feelings in Auschwitz. Like most people who visit Krakow, I had the entire weekend planned around our visit to Auschwitz.

NOTHING HIT HOME MORE THAN STANDING INSIDE THE GAS CHAMBERS

As you might expect, I had our transfer arranged first thing in the morning. Since Auschwitz is notorious for being busy, I wanted to take every possible opportunity to avoid the crowds. Therefore, we planned our visit early to ensure a more serene experience.

AUSCHWITZ

It was important that we avoided the crowds because I never wanted to feel like I was a tourist. Moreover, I wanted a certain atmosphere for my family. Specifically, I wanted them to imagine themselves walking through the gates for the first time and have the space and peace to think about the people who did it for real, rather than jostling for a photo and listening to ten guides all speak at once.

Additionally, we planned our trip at this time of year so we could experience the severe weather conditions that had to be endured. Nevertheless, I didn’t expect how cold it actually turned out to be.

THE GATES

The atmosphere was exactly how I wanted: cold, dark, and eerie. As we approached, the gates read “Arbeit macht frei,” which translates to “work sets you free,” one of many lies the prisoners were told.

Like any trip, I had done a lot of research and tried to learn as much as possible. Although I felt I knew a fair bit, after listening to the guide for only a few minutes, it soon dawned on me how little I actually knew! Indeed, a guide is completely necessary here; there is just no substitute for the knowledge they can share.

Mixed feelings in Auschwitz

GAS CHAMBER

We then moved onto the gas chambers and crematorium, where we were able to stand in the very spot where many had died. Simultaneously, you join various other tours, and with only 20 people in the chamber, you get an idea of how cramped it could be with several hundred. After the guards locked the doors, they opened the hatches from above and emptied their buckets of pellets. These reacted with the moisture and created the gas, giving people between 10–15 minutes to live.

Mixed feelings in Auschwitz

CREMATORIUM

At this point, it was silent, a far cry from what it would have been like; however, you realized everyone was just in complete shock at what people actually went through. Many times, we’ve read about them or heard about them, but to actually walk through the gas chambers where so many people died really hit home. There were so many people forced into the gas chambers that the crematorium could not keep up. Additionally, other prisoners were forced to fill the ovens with the bodies of their prison mates, two and sometimes three at a time.

Mixed feelings in Auschwitz

DEATHS

The numbers are just incomprehensible. Firstly, Auschwitz was made up of 40 concentration camps with Auschwitz 1 & 2 as the main camps and dozens of sub-camps beyond. Out of the 1.3 million people who were sent here, 1.1 million died. Notably, 90% of them were Jews who were gassed upon arrival.

The book of names – 8,000 page memorial dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust

EXPANSION

As the Germans pushed on with their war efforts, they required more and more space for their prisoners. Consequently, to keep up with the trainloads of new prisoners arriving every day, they decided it took too long to build structures out of brick and mortar. Instead, they opted to build wooden sheds, which were not too dissimilar to chicken sheds. As a result, up to 500 people were crammed into one of these sheds, leading to even more widespread disease due to little shelter from the extreme conditions outside.

Mixed feelings in Auschwitz

AUSCHWITZ 2

These wooden barracks took up the majority of Auschwitz 2, and it was here where the prisoners first arrived. Additionally, it was here that the doctors would decide if the prisoners were to live or die. Of course, the prisoners still did not know their fate. They were promised that they were being taken to meet with their families again, but for many, it was the last time they would see them. Thus, it was an important place.

The site is 350 acres. However, walking around, it’s hard to grasp the true size of the camp as most of the huts have been burnt down. Therefore, take a walk up to the tower to get a better perspective.

Mixed feelings in Auschwitz

SALT MINES

After being dragged through an emotional rollercoaster, we stopped off at the Salt Mines for a tour. Regardless of your expectations of this place, you are guaranteed to be shocked!

The mines are the result of 700 years of work, creating 245km of tunnels at a maximum depth of 327m. To put the sheer size of it into perspective, after our 1-hour tour, we had only covered 2% of the area. Clearly, I wouldn’t want to take a wrong turn!

JEWISH QUARTER, KAZIMIERZ

Our last morning was spent walking around Kazimerz, the Jewish Quarter of Krakow. Additionally, it’s worth going across the river to the Zabłocie district to visit Oskar Schindler’s factory. Currently, it hosts two museums: the Contemporary Art Museum and a branch of Krakow’s Historical Museum.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s sometimes hard to put things into words and this experience was a perfect example. If you do plan to visit I would recommend you to watch Schindler’s List and you can be sure the experience will send shivers up your spine during the tour. The world we now live in could have been very different, I’ll always be thankful for that.

NEXT UP

Home for a bit before a few trips and then The Southern Africa Series in September. There I visit two of my favourite countries in South Africa and Botswana as well as 7 others. Click to read.

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
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This is part 2 of the 2 part Krakow Series, click for more.