Content:
- Why should you visit Auschwitz?
- So, How do you get to Auschwitz?
- How long does the Auschwitz tour take?
- What will you see in Auschwitz?
“It’s not about remembering what happened. It’s about never forgetting it”.
We all have heard; some of us may have lived through World War II.
World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945, the most geographically extensive war the world had ever seen. It caused much damage to mankind, like the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Attack.
Italy, Germany and Japan fought against Britain, USA and Russia.
As the leader or, more accurately saying, the dictator of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler was the key reason for both World War II and the Holocaust, the events that led to the deaths of millions of people.
Adolf Hitler hated the people who did not fit the Nazi definition of an Aryan, mainly Jewish. So he acted against them intensely. The extreme act of Hitler’s hatred happened to be the Nazi concentration camps and death camps.
What is happening in the concentration camp
Concentration camps are places where people are arrested or imprisoned, frequently in terrible conditions and without regard to the legal standards for arrest and imprisonment that are appropriate in a constitutional democracy.
Among the many Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz emerged as the most famous, primary, and largest of them all. It is referred to as the “final solution to the Jewish problem.” It is a place where horrible and unimaginable things have happened.
Auschwitz, also known as Auschwitz-Birkenau, opened in 1940 and existed till 1940. It is located on an old military base outside of Oswiecim, a town in Southern Poland near one of the largest cities in Poland, Krakow.
Why should you visit Auschwitz?
Why not?
If you Google Auschwitz, you will find black and white pictures of endless train trials, barbed wire fences, brick buildings, and sometimes strangely, sets of photographs of people. And you may wonder why I should visit this place?
Well, I repeat, “It’s not about remembering what happened. It’s about never forgetting it”. As it is, Auschwitz is an important memorial of humanity.
There was life, and there was death at Auschwitz. So, I think it is important to learn, understand, and reflect on history when given the opportunity. In fact, nearly two million people visit Auschwitz every year.
So, How do you get to Auschwitz?
From Krakow, you can get a bus or car or a train or join a tour. Most visitors join a guided tour which is the most convenient.
But can you go to Auschwitz without a tour? Yes, if you know the camp’s history well enough. There are designated times for self-guided tours. Without a guide, it is free to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, but you must request a time slot in advance.
How long does the tour take to visit Auschwitz?
Moreover, Whether you join a guided tour or decide to explore on your own, it can take a minimum of three and a half hours to see Auschwitz.
What will you see in Auschwitz?
The camp has three parts.
Auschwitz I – the original camp from which the whole complex was managed.
Auschwitz II-Birkenau – a place of mass execution with five huge crematoria.
Auschwitz III Monowitz – a labour camp.
You can visit the museum only in the first two parts today.
Auschwitz I
As you enter the camp through the famous gate that says “work sets you free” in German, you will see the barracks (buildings used mainly for lodging soldiers in groups), where you can find museum exhibitions today.
You will witness,
- The personal belongings of the prisoners who lived their lives to the death
- Pictures of some prisoners on the walls
- A massive book with names of people who died in Auschwitz
- The Death Wall; a place where Nazis killed the people by shooting
- Gas chambers where you notice nail scratches on the walls.
Auschwitz II – Birkenau
Prisoners were transported here by trains from various parts of Europe. Auschwitz’s biggest crematoria were here, and you will be able to see the ruins. Most prisoners lived here, and the biggest crematoria were here too.
Auschwitz will not be a pleasant visit; however, it is definitely a necessary one that will leave you thinking, learning or maybe unlearning, reflecting, and eventually changing
Brace yourselves and give it a chance to Auschwitz!
