Auschwitz - Birkenau

"Work Makes You Free."  The famous entrance to concentration camps across Nazi Germany.

The fence and boundaries of the concentration camp Auschwitz.

A collection of appendages, crutches, and other extremities the Nazis collected upon the Jews entrance to Auschwitz.

A collection of adult shoes the Nazis took upon the Jews arrival at Auschwitz.  These shoes were found in building "Canada," which only survive due to the Nazis non-destruction of the building in their haste to escape the Soviets.

A typical street/row in Auschwitz.

The famous human ovens that burned the bodies of the deceased in Auschwitz.

The original railroad that led to the entrance of Birkenau.  Millions of prisoners would enter on this track and go immediately to the gas chambers.  These chambers are located approximately 100 feet to the right of where I'm standing to take this photo. 

A typical box cart that transported the prisoners to the various concentration, death, and work camps.  A familiar site at Auschwitz - Birkenau is the pilgrimage of Israeli Jews to remember the past.

The destroyed remains of the main gas chambers and human ovens at Birkenau.  Millions died on this site alone.  The retreating Nazis destroyed much of Birkenau to hide their crimes.  Further destruction was due to the Polish trying to reclaim this land once the war was over. 

               When it comes to the World War II Holocaust, there is no place that conjures the images and events more than Auschwitz.  This eternal image of genocide is one of the most visited places in Europe for good reason: the camp is in perfect condition and has some of the best Holocaust displays in the world. 

                Arrival into the concentration camp is through the ever reminding “Work Makes You Free” sign that hangs above the front gate.  From there you wind through former buildings housing prisoners.  The buildings now house displays from the history of the Holocaust, the main players, everyday life, and some of the greatest tragedies occurred at the camp.  However, the best displays are from the articles found inside the Canada building on site.  Fleeing Nazis didn’t have enough time to take and/or burn all articles and evidence left behind, and in their haste kept the Canada building perfectly in-tact.  Inside the liberating Soviets found collections of everything the prisoners brought with them to the camps: hairbrushes, shoes, artificial limbs, and a room full of human hair complete with a section showing sheets and cloth made with human hair.  The finale brings people to the gas chambers and ovens used for bad, conspiratorial, or useless prisoners.

                A second optional half of the tour takes visitors to the destroyed site of Birkenau.  Located only three kilometers away from Auschwitz, Birkenau (or sometimes referred to as “Auschwitz II”) is probably ten times the size of Auschwitz and doubled in use as a death camp.  Prisoners from Italy to Greece to the Baltics were sent to Birkenau and immediately upon arrival were killed in gas chambers, then sent to ovens for cremation.  While much of the camp was destroyed by fleeing Germans and Polish trying to retake their former village areas, the area still is an excellent example of tortuous conditions and mass extermination. 

                While there are disputed figures to the death toll of Auschwitz (some claiming as much as 4 million total), there is a general agreement amongst experts now that 1.3 million people died during the six years at Auschwitz.  Most of these deaths were determined according to the wishes of Dr. Mengele (AKA “Dr. Death”).

                The memorials are open to the public year round, where you are required to take a guided tour of the camps.  The tour lasts three hours, and there is a strong possibility that you will encounter Israeli Jews on a pilgrimage to a site synonymous with the extermination of their people.  Personally, I think this is the best, most organized example of the horrors we can do to each other on earth.