While @ezzy and I were in Krakow, we had the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkanau with other Steemians on a tour. For those who don’t know, Auschwitz-Birkanau was the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centers. Over 1.1 million Jews lost their lives there including men, women and children.
It took us one hour and fifteen minutes from the Qubus hotel to Auschwitz-Birkanau. We started from the Birkenau extermination camp, which was primarily used to house and execute Jews. Upon arriving from Birkenau, the Jews fate was decided by a Nazi official and thumb in either direction. One side you lived and the other, you were sent to the gas chamber.
The tour was conducted at a gentle pace and our guide was knowledgeable and informative, also allowing us time to absorb the historical events. After a short break, we moved onto the other main extermination camp – Auschwitz itself.
After going through the front entrance gate, we went inside individual buildings and saw many photos displayed on the walls of prisoners who had been brought in. There were also piles of shoes, human hairs, luggage and clothes behind glass presentations, as well as the actual gas chambers and crematoriums themselves! Although we already knew what to expect, I found this to be unbelievable and extreme sad. What a terrible part of history to have ever taken place. At least it can serve as a stark remembrance for these atrocities to never happen again.
Overall, Auschwitz-Birkanau is an emotional place to visit but definitely worth seeing.
