Thread: One day in Auschwitz

My husband wanted to go to Auschwitz while we were staying at Krakow. I wasn't so sure. It sat uncomfortably with me that a place of so much horror and crime against humanity had become one of Poland's biggest tourist attractions. It didn't seem right but not going didn't seem right either. So, with a heavy heart, we went and this is what we saw.



This picture is quite deceptive. The crowds of tourists following the tour guides were often jam packed into the rooms and were quickly rushed through to allow those behind us to follow. Too fast for me. I had no real sense of where I was and didn't really comprehend the horrors that had occurred there.



We saw the room full of children's shoes, the suitcases, and saw the photographs on the walls. But it didn't really hit me until we walked into the room containing all the human hair. Then I flipped! Seriously flipped. We were told not to take photographs of the hair but the crowd in front of me ignored the instructions and lifted their cameras and started clicking away. I jumped up waving my hands in front of their cameras and screamed NO at them until they stopped.

Lack of respect is what I feared I would see here and in that respect I wasn't disappointed. This picture is where the families were torn apart and where most of the children were sent on their way to the gas chamber.

Thanks Karen for sharing your story with us.

It is important that we don't forget these parts of our history so that we can make sure they don't happen again. I'm sorry that your visit had such an effect on you. Maybe they rush people not only because of the crowds but because of the negative energy there. Maybe it's good you didn't spend longer there. Thanks for having the courage to share.

Then visitors came in who showed nothing but respect and I felt humbled.



And then my photographic instincts took over and I started documenting their journey around Birkenau.

Karen I would have lost it too people have no respect

wow, the "fashion shoot" on the train tracks is beyond bizarre... sorry to hear that people are so disrespectful... good on you for telling them to behave! Not sure I would've dared to do it.

Very powerful images, Karen. The storytelling/documentation aspect is so good on this set.. great work!

Your photos are absolutely wonderful, and it is incredible how the chronology in them refers to your feelings during the tour. By far the best shots, creative, strong, are at the end, when I suppose you had finally digested being there and felt better about the later, respectful visitors.
I think it's an interesting and important visit to make in one's life.
However, I'm a little wary of how that would impact me. I can be overly sensible, especially where family and children are concerned, and I don't think I could live very well after seing this place "in the flesh".
Thanks to you for sharing both your images and thoughts on that very special experience.