Concentration camps: While we were in Krakow Poland we went to two concentration camps, Auschwitz and Birkenau. They were very interesting but the first thing that I did was throw up all over a big tree in Auschwitz. It was white because I had had bad milk that morning. We saw where the prisoners stayed and where they were gassed. Unfortunately I could not focus very well due to my loss of food in the not very distant past so I cannot tell you any more. SORRY 🙁
Actually I can but it will be hard. There were lots of pictures of men who survived the concentration camps all taken by the Soviets since the Nazis took no photographs. There were just a couple pictures of children and only one of the girls survived Auschwitz. The reason for this was that she had blond hair and blue eyes. The Nazis believed that anyone with these traits was part of a superior race. The symbol of Auschwitz was the arch at the main gate. “Work is liberating” it said although not one prisoner was ever set free until the Soviets arrived. The first prisoners to be confined to concentration camps were German criminals but when the Jews started to be taken the German criminals were made into “enforcers”. They beat the other prisoners to death even for not moving quite fast enough or tripping and falling on a loose stone.
Kevin Schroeder
Auschwitz is a very very sad place, but a really important place for people to visit. Your own visit is more compelling than 100 hours of history class on the same subject. What a great example of how great your trip is going to be for you and your family! When my wife and I went to Auschwitz in 1993 it was a cold grey day and it made the experience even more somber and powerful. I can’t imagine anyone ever forgetting a visit to Auschwitz.
Denise
Hank, thanks for being at such an important and powerful place and telling us about it, even after you had thrown up your guts on that tree. Poor tree. I bet it was grossed out the whole rest of the day.
cheryl
if you’re going to throw up then Auschwitz is the place!