Visiting Auschwitz the concentration camp
Dear Steemit community,
Two days ago the January 27th it was the International Holocaust Remembrance day. According to the history the same day in 1945 the red Army liberated this dreadful area from the nazism and commemorate the genoicide was consumed inside it.
I decide to write a short post about my learning experience visiting one of the most saddest I have ever visited in whole Europe situated in nearby the Polish town Oświęcim sixty - five kilometers far from Krakow. (Another one was the musuems I visited in Vilnius Lithuania and mentioned in one of my previous post).
In the next picture the phrase written in German language means "the work will make you free"
It is estimated that in this concentration camp were deported Jews from different countries. Most of them were from Hungary (430.000) Poland (300.000) France (69.000) Netherlands (60.000) Greece ( 55.000) Slowakia (27000) Belgium( 25.000) Austria and Germany (23.000) Ex - Jugoslawia ( 10.000) Italy (7500) Norway(690)
Plus approximately 34000 relocated from other nazi concentration camps. Nowadays it houses a museum with witneess of people deported
And the owen in which people lost their lifes
I do not know which adjective is the most suitable for those photos.
It is told that if a Polish prisoners escaped, the familly members were arrested and sent to Auschwitz. They were made to stand under a sign announcing the reason for their arrest and they had to remain in the camp until the fuggitive were found.
In one of the blocks Jews women were used by doctors for sterilization experiments , the one who did not die and survived kept their injuried on their body.
I would conclude this post by saying that I found this visit very educative as well as sad also because of this famous quotation found in one of the rooms (Written both in Polish and English language).
I think the meaning of this sentence is clear . "Never happen again such tragedy " - " Do not repeat the same mistake" "Learn from the mistake"
In my opinion visit "sad locations" improve our knowledge, experience and optimize our wisdom from them.
As Robert G. Cross said that the wisdom is the optimization of knowledge
Peace out
This is such a sad topic but just so true that we have to be confronted with it forever in order to never act in a similar way ever again. I'm from Germany and in contrast to @daiquiri I wouldn't say that there are people not aware of our history at all (no offence)! But sadly it's true that even though we learn this in school, have monuments and museums about it there are still people (everywhere in the world) that just don't care and still (or again) have that mindset.
Oh, no offence from my side either! I have just stumbled upon some surveys/ studies recently and the results made me - lets say it mildly - wondering where are we heading... What actually correspondents well with your comment, yep, I'm afraid history comes full circle regarding some mindsets and it doesn't look good - even in Poland.
I can not find the survey taken in Germany right now, but for fun (gosh) take a look at this...
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/how-much-you-know-world-11313755
Have been there myself multiple times (I'm Polish and my family wasn't very lucky during the WW2) and it has always been a bit terrible and exhausting, yet very deep and thoughtful experience. Thank you for posting this as with the time passing by, many people have no idea what happened just 70 years ago (even in Poland and Germany, be these two nations one of the most involved ones).
You're welcome I lived one accademic year in Poznan as exchange student. I came back more than once around Poland but I have visited Auschwitz only one time. Which part of Poland ?
Warsaw right now, but my family comes mostly from Lviv and lives currently in the north-west of Poland. I do hope you had a nice experience here in our country!
Yes I had. So were you born in Poland and your most of your family are from Lviv When I lived in Poznan I met people from that city.
I was born in Poland and although huge part of my family comes from Lviv and surroundings, that time it has also been a part of Poland. Fun fact: I used to live in Poznan for about 10 years ;) Now Warsaw since few ones but moving again in around 3 months, this time to Singapore - will be quite a change ;)
Nice you l ived in Poznan . Well I forgot that years that part were part of Poland too!
I went there a few years ago, and the stories really sends shivers down your back
I agree that we should visit these places. When I visited Poland I had my doubts about whether I should go to Auschwitz - I didn’t want to feel like I was gawking at suffering. But I went and like you I think it was the right thing to do. The place made a very powerful impression on me. It’s truly shocking. thanks for the sensitive account.
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