13 June
Auschwirtz-Birkenau is now a Polish museum by the name Oswiecim-Brzezinka. The nearest town is Oswiecim, an hour away from Krakow if there is no traffic jam. We had booked ourselves on a tour before we arrived in town to ensure that we can visit as it is very popular place to visit.
We were woken up by workmen working on renovating a wing of the
hotel outside our windows which was alright as it was time to wake up. We hurried to breakfast. A nice Spanish couple from
Madrid, who spoke limited English joined us, imposing on us a good opportunity to practice our Spanish. We stepped outside at
8.30 am as our bus and guide pulled in to collect us. Michael, from Krakow Shuttle, was early. He let us sit in the front passenger seat on our request as we were the first passenger. Yay. As we collected the rest of the group, we had a free city tour.
There would be 22 of us in all, some of whom were collected
at collection points. By 9.30 am, we
were on our way. Michael loves the sound
of Australia so we got to chatting about Australia a lot. His knowledge of Krakow is limited as he had moved to London and this was a temporary gig
for him. The traffic to Auschwitz can be challenging so it was good that Michael knows several good detours. Upon arrival, we were handed over to a museum's official tour guide. We were also handed a device with earphones which enabled each of us to hear what our guide was saying. This was a necessity as in packed places with many groups and guides, it would otherwise have been too noisy and inappropriate for the place. Although it was a bright sunny day, there was a solemnness about this place, as if the spirit of those who died in such pain and suffering are still suffering.
At the top of iron gates attached the double barb wire electric fence almost twice the height of a normal human, are the words "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work will set you free). Immediately behind that are tall red brick houses that looked like they belonged to a little planned village and not a concentration camp. That was part of the Nazi's sneaky plan. These first buildings did belong to normal inhabitants of the area before they were confiscated for use by the Nazis to house their camp officers and guards. The first prisoners here were Polish and Russian prisoners and deportees. These were followed by the gypsies. And finally the entire Jewish population that Hilter was determined to exterminate. It is sad that we have not heard much of the others at all. It is as if they did not count for much!! This is especially true of the gypsies.
Before it was a concentration camp, the Germans marked this area as a special interest region of 40 square km. No one questioned them or their activities as they built gas chambers and crematoriums. Whey they trained the Jews there, they told
them that they were being reassigned to work there in the special
industrial zone. They were also instructed to bring with them their most important things to start their new lives because there was room only for one
suitcase of not more than 20kg max. They transported them in animal wagons (train coaches with no windows) with standing room only,
all the way there.
 |
| Model of gas chamber and crematorium in Auschwitz |
At arrival, a German
doctor determined who were fit for service (about 25%) after they were
separated first into men – women & children groups. The doctor's determination was by a single cursory look. The ones determined as not fit for work were requested to undress and sent to take a
disinfecting shower. Some were even
given soap and towel. And they were sent
straight to the gas chambers which even had fake shower heads. Zykon-B, a pesticide, was poured into these chambers. In about
20 minutes, the slaughter was complete.
The dead were then cremated and their ashes poured initially into a hole
in the ground. Subsequently, when they ran out of space for disposal of the ashes, the ashes were used as fertilisers.
 |
| Remains of canisters of Zykon-B |
 |
| The glasses of those murdered - indicators of numbers involved |
 |
| The prosthesis of those murdered |
 |
| Shoes and bags of those murdered that were not reused or sold |
 |
| Hair and shaving brushes of those murdered |
Before cremation, the hair of the women were removed. These were exported as raw material for
making fabrics – felt for clothes, stocking and hosiery. The gold amalgam in the teeth of the dead
were also removed, melted down and reformed into bars and sent to the vaults of the German's Central Bank. Suitcases had to be left at the door before going into the shower rooms. The contents of these were
sorted, disinfected and then sent to be sold or recycled. Until they were transported, they were stored
in warehouses on the camp. The prisoners referred to these warehouses as “Canada” as Canada was perceived to be the land of plenty. Huge piles of lasses, shoes, utensils and personal effects that were still at the camp when it was liberated and are now part of the museum exhibit bear testimony to the suffering that were imposed and experienced there.
 |
| Sleeping arrangements |
 |
| Block bathroom |
Those who were determined eligible to work (usually just men) were fed a mere 1,000 calories a day – a hunk of bread, and some
super thin meatless soup made from rotting vegetable in the evening. The work was very physically demanding for long hours. Most died from the efforts. Some committed suicide on the camp fences that were wired in 220V.
SS men did not care as there were fresh ones arriving all the time to take their place. There were camp superintendents who carried out the tasks of the Nazis. These were chosen from the
prisoners themselves. For slightly more food and better accommodation (including
single rooms and beds at times), they carried out the Nazi's atrocious orders on their fellow
prisoners. Normal prisoners were housed in bunks 3
high, with each bunk which was 2/3 the size of the smallest single bed being shared by 2. The poor diet ensured that chronic diarrhea was the norm. There were not enough washroom facilities with very limited and restricted assigned toilet times. The most common disease being typhus and diarrhea Hygiene conditions were at the absolute worst. Sooner or later, these expendable slaves
died. When they die, their clothing are recycled to future prisoners. If they face the death penalty, they had to be stripped first so as not to dirty their prisoner uniforms.
 |
| block bathroom |
The crematorium could cremate some 2,000 persons per day. There was a massive one in Auschwitz. There were two similar ones in Birkenau. There were a few more in the forest surrounding the area. When the Nazis were retreating later towards the end of the war, they would attempt to destroy the evidence of their crimes by destroying the gas chambers, crematorium and ancillary structures. They would also attempt to evacuate those that they thought may live by requesting these to march in the death of winter to other camps. Clothed in very little with next to no food, many died. These marches were later known as the Death Marches. The ones left at camp on liberation day were the ones that the Nazis thought would already be dead before anything could be done for them. These were the ones found by the Red Army on liberation day; the “dead” they attempted to revive.
 |
| Camp blocks in Auschwitz - deceivingly innocuous |
The first camp buildings in Auschwitz looked like school houses
on an old campus somewhere from the past.
These were existing structures confiscated from the Poles. Numbers were assigned to each building. SS men also carried out experiments with Zykon-B in the basement Block 11 to determine the optimal amount of gas required for the deed.
 |
| Atrocities assignment in Block 11 |
We walked though what were the living quarters, the washroom facilities, the site where death by firing squads were carried out, the room in block 11 where the experiment took place and past exhibits of personal belongings that remained when the camp was evacuated. We visited the crematorium and gas chamber that still stand in Auschwitz.
The visit was emotionally draining. Heavy the eyes that bear witness but heavier the shoulders that carried the loads.
 |
| Map of Auschwitz & Birkenau |
There was a short break before we boarded our bus to go over to Birkenau. Auschwitz was a museum
on a cemetery / a crime scene. Birkenau by comparison spread over a much larger area and is mostly in open air. There was no "Arbeit Macht Frei" signage anywhere. We were to learn that it was not
in every concentration camp. It was
not over Birkenau.
 |
| The transport coach |
We walked through the gates to the display coach wagon that was used, down the
tracks along the path previously taken by the prisoners to where
they would have been sorted, and then to the Crematorium / Gas Chamber which are now standing ruins to where ashes of the dead were dumped.
 |
| Ruins of crematorium / gas chamber |
 |
| The pond where the ashes of the murdered were dumped |
 |
| Single row of wood preserved to show what they looked like |
 |
| The brick structure |
Only the brick bunkers are still standing. The wooden ones that were built after they ran out space in the brick buildings are long gone. Only the stone chimneys testify to their once existence. The washrooms for these wooden structures are still standing. On can see that there are few of these and spread rather far and wide. The scenery here is more akin to what would expect to find on a concentration camp than at Auschwitz.
 |
| All that remain of the wooden structures, chimneys. Solid concrete are washrooms. |
 |
| One of the two blocks for women |
The camp was about mostly men. Women and children did not last long after arrival. Twins and women that lasted longer were used for experiments. These were housed on the camp in a small designated yard surrounding two brick buildings. Each of these housed 1,000+ inhabitants.
We were also told of torture methods which included hanging someone by their tied hands after their hands had been tied behind them in one of the punishment yards.
How was it that so many did not realise what was happening to them? They were tricked into submission. Jewish communities were not alien to being told to move. Elsewhere in Europe, they were being driven in ghettos. Tricked into submission and tortured / tricked to die without a fight, giving
up the best of all they had to be used by the Nazis for the Germans, treated not like humans from the moment of condemnation are probably some of the descriptors one can think one appropriate for the whole process. And no German said a word the entire time, not so much they agree with Hitler but because they were angry and needed
something / someone to be angry with after WW I brought so much hardship to their country. And Hitler gave them the outlet for that anger!! And what did the world do when these atrocities were taking place? Not much as they were busy with their nation's domestic affairs.
How similar is this situation to events in our communities today? The campaigns against immigration. Presidential and other leaderships campaigns that made similar bids for votes based on treating a certain race or religion as outcasts and justifying depriving them of their basic human rights .... because global economy generally or national economy specifically is in decline? Hatred is being preached .... when will we learn .... when memorials and monuments like these are preserved so that we can see what atrocities can be carried out in the name of benefiting a select group .... and we all proclaim "lest we forget" .... they would all have died in vain if we do not learn ... have not learnt
No comments:
Post a Comment