Auschwitz and Birkenau

Even before we were taught about World War II and concentration camps in school, I had known they existed and had wanted to visit at least one of them. I really wanted to know what happened there and was curious about the conditions in which people and officers lived, everything that went on there, the location of the camps – were they private or near towns... I had a million questions. I was also curious as to what I’d be feeling once there.

I talked a lot about war with my grandma who lived during those times. I gained an idea about that period when I was still a little girl. My parents also took me to the ruins of the Ljubelj concentration camp and gave me a tour of the dark history.

A few years ago, I talked to my friend and he told me about his experience in Auschwitz. He said he already got the shivers before even entering the camp and he felt uncomfortable during the whole visit. Would I feel the same? In December 2018, an opportunity arose and I was finally standing outside Auschwitz. It was a gloomy, slightly rainy, and cold winter day. All this only added to the grimness and eeriness of the place.

Labour and extermination camp

The Auschwitz concentration camp is located just outside the town, while Birkenau lies further away and is more isolated. Even upon going through the entrance and walking under the ironic “Arbeit macht frei” or “Work sets you free” sign, I didn’t get any negative vibes or sensed any negative energies.

We took a tour of the buildings where campers lived in inhumane conditions, the “hospital facility” of doctor Josef Mengel, the gas chambers, the crematorium, the gallows, and of course also the area where a huge collection of shoes, hair, suitcases, Zyklon B and other items are stored. A lot of things are illustrated, so you can more easily imagine the little bit of this cruel history. Throughout the whole tour, the guide kept describing life in the camp, from the first political prisoners to the changes that came later and the detention of Jews. We gained great knowledge and heard new stories. We concluded our visit with a tour of the gas chambers and the crematorium. Going through the gas chambers still didn’t evoke any feelings in me, but when I was standing in front of the furnace in the crematorium I felt as if all the energy of the cremated bodies flew through me. It’s hard to describe the feeling and the thing that stirred inside me at that very moment – it was as if I was suddenly there when it all happened.

Creepy.

We continued to the Birkenau concentration camp, which wasn’t used to exploit the labour force but rather to “destroy” human beings. The moment I entered through the gates, which served as an entry point for the train that used to bring thousands of prisoners to the camp, I got one of the worst feelings in my whole life.

We passed by the wooden barracks that still endure at the site and also took a look inside some of them. This is where I got a more genuine notion of what life used to be like there, just like in the previous camp. The conditions in this camp were even worse because of the smaller space, badly constructed barracks and much more merciless guards. The best jobs in the whole camp were snow shovelling and toilet emptying. That was the only time guards didn’t look over the prisoner’s shoulders and didn’t stick around much because of the smell anyway.

That was the end of our tour. The gas chambers and the crematorium were destroyed before the war began. The reason for their destruction was to erase all evidence of the crimes of the Germans.

I had mixed feelings going from one camp to another, probably because they were both built differently. The first one was built as a labour camp and the second one as an extermination camp. There are enormous differences between the two. What both share in common, though, is that what happened there was inhumane and a great lesson to all the post-war generations, as well as a proof of what can result from ideas of one powerful individual.

The Gates of Auschwitz documentary

Before I started writing the article, I wanted to review the information about the dates, the number of casualties, the names of the guards, different stories... But then I changed my mind. I found an interesting documentary online, which was filmed in 1992. David Cole presented some interesting facts in the film The Truth Behind the Gates of Auschwitz. Source: Part 1 and Part 2.

I don’t know what’s true and what isn’t.

I do, however, know that watching the film I started questioning how much truth our guide revealed in the camp. I ask myself:
- Why didn’t we get to see the whole complex?
- Why are some facts hidden?
- Why are historical facts still being concealed?
- Was the number of casualties really smaller than was shown?
- What exactly was Zyklon B used for?

Why, why, why... These are just a few questions to which I have no answer.

I would like to visit the concentration camp again and see more than I did during my first visit, maybe even go on a private tour. I don’t know yet when and how, but someday.

I just wanted to point out that guides, teachers, documentaries and others don’t always show us a true picture of events from the past. It’s good that certain individuals and journalists remind us of that. But it’s up to us to listen to them and decide whether we believe them or not. What’s important is that we don’t blindly follow everyone.

So, do we know the truth about Auschwitz and Birkenau or just the distorted facts? I’m still trying to form my own opinion, but what about you?