Trigger Warning: The following content discusses the Holocaust, including details about Auschwitz-Birkenau, genocide, and extreme violence. It may be distressing for some readers. Please proceed with care and prioritize your well-being. If you find this topic triggering, consider seeking support from a trusted individual or mental health professional.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27, 1945. Each year, this date is observed as Holocaust Remembrance Day, honoring the millions of lives lost. The liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau set in motion the rescue of other concentration camp prisoners, revealing the full extent of the Holocaust’s devastation. Over six million people perished during the Holocaust. I invite you to read below to learn more about our visit—go, listen, and share their stories.
Sandy and I did a combined Auschwitz-Birkenau + Wieliczka Salt Mine tour back this summer while visiting Kraków (more on the salt mine visit here). We first visited the salt mine, and then drove an hour by bus to Auschwitz-Birkenau- the largest concentration camp to exist during World War II. Did you know Auschwitz-Birkenau is actually two concentration camps?
Auschwitz I was the original concentration camp, established in 1940, primarily for political prisoners. It housed administrative offices, a small gas chamber, and was known for forced labor and brutal medical experiments. This camp served as a labor and administrative hub.
Auschwitz II-Birkenau, built in 1941, was a much larger camp designed for mass extermination, primarily of Jews. It had four gas chambers, large crematoria, and railway tracks leading directly to its gates, where most victims were sent to their deaths. This camp became the main site of mass killings, and the location you usually see in books, movies, photos, etc. when people refer to Auschwitz.
Our tour began with Auschwitz I. Upon entering, you walk through in between narrow walls while names are being called - which I believe was similiar to roll-call in the mornings. You then see the well-known sign "Arbeit Macht Frei." This is not just a place of historical significance, but a solemn memorial to the countless lives that were lost. There are still many barracks left untouched, but many now have turned into museums of items left behind by victims. You also can learn more about where people came from, you can see some photos of those who have suffered at this camp, you can see exhibits—filled with personal items like shoes, suitcases, and eyeglasses, which offer a haunting reminder of the individuals behind the numbers. It is impossible not to be moved by the stories of suffering, resilience, and survival that happened here.
Auschwitz II-Birkenau is about a five minute drive from Auschwitz I. It is one of the most notorious Nazi concentration and extermination camps during the Holocaust. Entering this camp is a bit different as the train tracks lead right into the camp, versus at mostly others, they are dropped off and then walk to the camp. There was no escaping once you are inside. It's a haunting feeling to see it, and I can't imagine what the people felt those days coming in by train and see the concentration camp for the first time.
You think you learn a lot about the horrors of WWII from our education and what we see in movies, articles, etc., but you truly need to visit here to learn more about what happened. It's incredibly eye-opening to see it in person and hear the detailed stories. For example, we were told when the Jews, Poles, Gypsies, and other marganizlied groups got off the train, they were told to separate by males and females - children going with the mothers; however, teenage boys often had to choose whether to go with the men or the women. Many would choose to go with the women to help their mothers care for the children; but, unfortunately, that would end up being the wrong choice if they wanted a chance to survive. The teenage boys who went with the men were more likely to get work and not be automatically sent to the gas chambers. Another example is the several hundred births that occurred at Auschwitz-Birkenau, but very few babies survived due to the horrific conditions. Most pregnant women and infants were immediately killed in gas chambers or subjected to brutal medical experiments, while newborns often died from starvation, disease, or were murdered shortly after birth. Only a small number of babies, mostly born near the camp's liberation, survived, with the help of other prisoners or due to the war’s end. Angela Orosz is known as the youngest Holocaust survivor, being born at the camp in December 1944.
At the end of our tour, our guide told us how when the camp was liberated, many of the victims stayed there because they had no place to go. Some were scared to leave. There have been survivors who came back to visit and pay tribute to those left behind. These are just a few stories of the many we heard on our tour, and I truly encourage anyone who can visit to do so. It's sad this happened not that long ago and many seem to be forgetting. We can't forget all the atrocities that happened here and around the globe during WWII. If we do, we are not honoring the victims who fought so hard to survive and we are not helping prevent this from happening in the future.
If you have time during your trip to Kraków, it's also worth paying a visit to Schindler's Factory, located right in the city. This is where German industrialist Oskar Schindler employed and ultimately saved over 1,000 Jewish workers during the Holocaust. By employing Jews in his enamelware and munitions factory, Schindler shielded them from deportation to extermination camps, often at great personal risk. Today, the factory has been turned into a museum that tells the story of Krakow during World War II and honors Schindler’s courageous efforts to save lives. This is another site that highlights how different cities, countries, and communities experienced the war in unique ways.
Visiting WWII sites across the world offers a profound opportunity to connect with history in a deeply personal way, allowing us to honor the memories of those who suffered and perished while understanding the immense impact of the war on humanity. These sites serve as powerful reminders of the consequences of hatred, intolerance, and war, urging us to reflect on our shared responsibility to promote peace, tolerance, and human rights. By learning from the past, we can help prevent such atrocities from happening again, making these visits not just educational but vital for fostering a more just future.
Thank you for going, sharing and learning. And doing so with grace. I think in our culture of travelling just to get the IG shot, going to experience places like this are becoming less visited or visited in an disrespectful manner.
Heartbreaking and so important. It must never be forgotten, no matter what. I can’t imagine how emotional that trip must have been.
I have always wanted to visit ever since learning about this era in school. I think it is important to understand the past to do what we can to stop it in the future
Visiting the concentration camps and memorials in Germany and Poland is so important to keeping the memories of these tragedies alive. I've found these visits to be incredibly tough emotionally, though always worthwhile.
This has always been a place that I have wanted to visit. Having visited Dachau, there is a true somberness felt in visiting.