 |
| Auschwitz 1 registration building
The experiences we had at Auschwitz 1 and 2 are some of the
strongest memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. To stand
and walk where Nazis and prisoners carried out daily activities was surreal. I
could not and still cannot believe that I was actually there.
Monday was the first time that we went to Auschwitz 1. I did
not know what to expect, especially not the number of people waiting in line to
enter. The air, however, was heavy and the atmosphere solemn and somber and
rightfully so; you could tell from the moment you stepped on the grounds. We
started our tour by the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” (work sets you free) sign that
everyone sees who enters the camp. We learned that tragically, six years ago,
someone stole the original sign and cut it into three parts. We then continued
our tour around the grounds and visited some of the blocks, some more bearable
than others. We saw the harsh reality that consisted of a variety of awe
inspiring, yet repulsive numbers, creations and things. In one of the blocks,
we saw stolen goods from the prisoners such as glasses, shoes, and kitchenware.
We saw where roll call was taken and the post where the officer who was in charge
of the number of prisoners was stationed. We saw the estimated numbers of
people killed and the book of names of people killed during the Shoah.
In the basement of one of the blocks were another unfathomable creation of the Nazis called starvation and dark cells. Prisoners were put in these rooms as punishment. A dark cell was a bigger room and was entered by a door while a starvation cell was entered by crawling on the floor through a small opening and then the prisoner stood up. However, it wasn't only one prisoner in a cell at a time. It was four! These cells weren't very big either. They were about 90 cm x 90 cm (~35 in x ~35 in). The prisoners inside were denied food (or light if the prisoner was in a dark cell) for a certain amount of time and then were expected to work the next morning.
Then, towards the end of the tour, we came to a building
with a tall chimney behind a little hill. I couldn’t even begin to guess what
this building was used for, especially after seeing the kitchen that looked nothing
like a kitchen with so many chimneys. Then our tour guide told us that it was a
gas chamber. I was shocked when I heard that. In all the years that I had
learned about or done research on World War II and the Holocaust, not once did
I come across any information that mentioned Auschwitz 1 having a gas chamber.
I couldn’t believe that in a concentration camp there was still the systematic
killing of Jews similar to that of Birkenau.
In lieu of all the death and sadness, there is a glimmer of
goodness. At one point, a prisoner ran away and was successfully able to escape
from Auschwitz. As a result, the Nazis tortured 10 other prisoners. However,
one man begged not to be killed as he was a father and husband and wanted to
live and continue to see his family. So, a Franciscan friar named Maximilian
Kolbe offered to take his place. Of course the Nazis were confused, but they
ultimately allowed the switch. Maximilian Kolbe gave his life to allow one man
to continue to care for his family and have hope that he will survive and
witness the liberation of the camp.
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment