Auschwitz-Birkenau - Don't Avoid The History
When chatting with our downstairs neighbor Carol about my recent vacation to Poland, she immediately reacted negatively. As a Jewish American, she has vivid imagery of the Holocaust. Indeed, the greatest tragedy in the modern era was documented and well remembered. But I found it interesting that American Jews, in particular, had a hard time confronting the physical remembrance of the Holocaust. My dear friend Monika, although not Jewish, is also apprehensive about the idea of visiting Auschwitz. Auschwitz (or Oświęcim in Polish) was the largest and the most deadly of all the Nazi concentration camps. Poland indeed held a majority of concentration camps not just for the European Jews but also for Soviet POWs and Polish intelligentsia. The complexity of the camps, both from the cultural and logistic points of view, was both profound and terrifying.
The infamous selection platform at the Birkenau site.
While the Holocaust Museum in Krakow and Washington D.C. are excellent, nothing beats a visit to the site of the atrocity. Auschwitz, a common name that is now synonymous with Nazi evils, is one of the numerous camps in Southern Poland. Why Poland? Perhaps because of its proximity to the Third Reich? More than any other occupied territories on the continent, the Nazi’s control over Poland ran deep and was firmly established with great hierarchical organization. The genesis of the Auschwitz concentration camp is an area called Auschwitz I Camp. Known for its famous Arbeit Macht Frei (Works Make You Free) sign, this original camp comprises two dozen four-story brick barracks. Each barrack is assigned for different purposes and houses different prisoners.
The notorious Arbeit Macht Frei gate at Auschwitz I.
Some of the most notorious blocks are Block 11, 24 & Block 23. Each is now dedicated to various groups of Auschwitz victims that had a historical tie to each barrack. These include Poles, Hungarians, Gypsies, the disabled, and numerous other ethnicities. But interestingly, there was no acknowledgment of the Nazi’s crimes against the “sexually deviant.” Each of these barracks is independently curated. While the exhibitions may seem slightly aged and desperately needed modernization, it was a powerful experience. However, the bare interior of the exhibition spaces seems utterly appropriate for the horror that took place there.
To ensure the best understanding of Auschwitz and the Holocaust, it is helpful to watch the six-part BBC documentary. I overheard one American family in my group discussing watching it on Netflix beforehand. The six-hour series took an intimate look at the birth and hidden stories of Auschwitz, from the unlikely starts, the financial secrets, the prostitution, and the unknown heroism in and outside the camps. The evils of the Nazis went well beyond their hatred of the Jews but a complete satanic approach toward creating a 'harmonious society.
The barracks and double fencing at Auschwitz I site.
What differentiates the Holocaust from other massacres, such as the Rape of Nanking, the Sack of Rome, or the Manila Massacre, was the scientific and dispassionate nature of the crime. It is not the crime of passion but a calculated factory of murder. Today, the underground crematorium of Auschwitz I Camp was a tribute to all Holocaust victims, and it was not difficult to envision the horror that prisoners endured. Survivors recounted how persistent the fumes from cremation and rotten corpses were.
As a museum, Auschwitz has become one of the most visited sites in all of Poland. I was fascinated to observe the types of visitors who chose to visit. I think I will classify them into several groups: Polish school groups, backpackers, priests (often in their unique religious garments), Israeli tour groups, and finally, baby boomers from America. What surprised me was the lack of young people from abroad who paid a visit. True, it seems to be more fun to do all the drinking and raves in Krakow, but Auschwitz was a better and more profound experience.
If only these walls could talk to us about the lesson from the Holocaust.
Mount of Zyklon B Canister
A haunting gallery of those who perished in Auschwitz.
The camp of Auschwitz I was the birthplace of the Nazi’s Final Solution, but it was at the second camp, Birkenau, that they perfected the industry of mass killing. A short 10-minute drive from Auschwitz I, Birkenau, is the most powerful sight to witness, in my opinion, due to its immense scale. It also conjures up all the historical images that we came to associate with the Holocaust. Among the first structures you would see are the Gate House and the rail tracks made famous by Schindler's List. The true scale of death and the sea of humanity is mind-blowing. The vast empty space also had an ire silence that seemed appropriate for a place of contemplation. Unlike Auschwitz II, Birkenau was raw and unrefined... bare bone in comparison.
Perimeter fence of Birkenau.
View from one of the surviving barracks.
Güterwagen that is used for the transport of Jews.
It was not difficult to empathize with the despair and loneliness of this place. Unlike Auschwitz I, there was no museum exhibit. It is ripe for random wonder and quiet contemplation. The most noteworthy shot was the view from the Selection Platform, where the SS ‘doctors’ made their life-or-death selection. Beside the platform was an original Goods Wagon (Güterwagen) in which all prisoners were transported from a few days to up to two weeks. It was mind-bugging that people could survive a journey like that while packed in sardines.
The Birkenau site was carefully restored to preserve its state of abandonment as it appeared around the time of liberation. While the majority of wooden barracks have been destroyed by the Nazis or razed after liberation for raw materials. However, the small brick smoke stacks remain. The most sacred and historically significant part of the whole site is the partially destroyed Crematorium No.3. The concentration camp was immediately designated as a museum after the restoration of the Polish regime after the liberation. The ruins of the site remind us of all the trauma and the cover-up attempt by the Nazi forces. On the most practical level, Birkenau preserves some of the most intimate looks on the life of prisoners, including the shower and toilet facilities. It is these simple aspect of prisoners' life that showcases the lack of humanity in the Nazi system.
The ruin of a hastily demolished crematorium at Birkenau
One of the side entry to the crematorium at Auschwitz I.
A memorial for victims of all nationalities at Birkenau.
Now, just a little bit of practicality of visiting Auschwitz. Chances are that you will be visiting Poland in the peak summer months. However, the crowd control regimen has been implemented during the peak hour (10 am - 3 pm), and every individual visitor must be part of an organized tour by an authorized docent (which costs around 40 zloty). All the official guides seem local to the community and speak from the point of view of all Polish people. They were passionate, but the crowd and fixed routes did not allow much time for them to wonder and contemplate. But well-read visitors could be better served by going solo. Now, you don't necessarily need to stick with your group once you pass the turnstile. But it may be good as a courtesy to wander off after half an hour later. It is good to stick with your guide for Birkenau, given its sheer size. Our guide also helped us with pacing ourselves in the fierce July sun.
What Do You Need To Know
Getting to Auschwitz was surprisingly inconvenient, especially since it was a popular day trip from Krakow. It may be a little harsh to call it inconvenient, but it takes some effort. You must go to the bus station just east of the Krakow Glowny to catch the bus. The bus was pretty run down and got packed early, so make sure to board early. The journey there was quite pleasant because it is a great way to look at rural Poland.
However, don't count on the bus getting you there before the 10 am deadline if you want to avoid the mandatory guided tour restriction. But more importantly, check the return schedule for the bus because the scheduling makes pretty much no sense. About a dozen travelers had to stand in the crowded aisle on our 90-minute return trip. It was pretty awful. However, the cafeteria serves some delicious, cheap, and 'traditional' dishes at a typical ‘milk bar.’ To end this post, I will say it is worth a day trip, and make sure that you take your time to explore.
