Auschwitz - Birkenau Concentration Camp

Today was a grueling day.I imagined it would be but nothing quite prepares you for the reality of this experience.
It is a sombre place by nature of its history but the effect on the tour group was noticeable and little chatter was heard amongst the group as we toured the museum at Auschwitz. Some took photos but even that seemed disrespectful in such a setting.
It was a cool and dismal day when we set out and several layers of clothing was required.I went solo today as Brad had already been years ago.It is relatively simple getting around here,tour groups pick you up from the hotel and keep tabs on you so no concerns about getting lost.
It took about an hour to get to Auschwitz,travelling through some pleasant rural communities.You get used to the steep roofs and gingerbread shapes of houses here,mostly wooden but rough caste and brick feature in different districts.The gardens have lots of conifers to 20th stand the winter cold but hanging baskets and Window boxes add colorful touches to their houses plus they rather go in for garden gnomes and animals.
It was hard to concentrate on the scenery as a video was played throughout the trip on the background to the camp and the events that led to the Holocaust. Compelling viewing and it is dedicated to those who died during the extermination. I was surprised at the scope of the killing,Poles were the first,their youth and then their priests and academics so they would not bring about an uprising, others followed at any sign of unco-operation with the Nazis. The first of September 1939 was when the Nazis arrived in Krakow,followed shortly after by the Russians and the horror began for local Poles and the Jewish community there.The Jews from all European countries were sent here plus the gypsies and Russians. Poland had the second biggest community of Jews in Europe ,about thirty million.
On our arrival at the museum we were all screened as if we were flying out before our guide gathered our group together and led us through the museum.Seeing the cramped conditions, the overcrowding,hearing about the inhumane treatment of innocent people, the indignities they suffered daily was difficult enough but seeing the display cases full of human hair ,spectacles,children's shoes,prosthetic limbs was disturbing.
Those images will be hard to displace yet tonight we turn on the TV and there are Syrians arriving in Munich in  their thousands looking for hope and refuge, a few belongings with them and horror left behind.Have we learned anything from the lessons of the past.
After we explored the living conditions of the prisoners we went into the gas chamber and saw the wall where men were shot.The hospital where experiments were conducted on women and children was another horror story amongst the many told during the hour and a half.
After we finished we drove to nearby Birkenau where the huge purpose build camp was constructed by the prisoners from the houses which were taken from the Poles.Their villages were taken over and the village razed in order to build this place.
The train lines lead right in through the gate into the he'll which awaited them.Most thought they were going to a better future so there was no panic on arrival but once they were sorted into work fit or not the die was cast.only the names of those who were registered to work were recorded so huge numbers of names are unknown to this day.
There is a peace memorial here which is powerful and a memorial walk with plaques for each country to mark the loss of their citizens.
It is the size of this place that compels attention,it is huge and even today it remains a reminder of the horror caused by despots and power.The women's camps are of brick and still standing but the men's camp was built of wood so only the chimney stands are standing, not that they ever had fire to keep them warm it was to suggest all was well inside them for the likes of the Red Cross.
Our tour guide was impressive, she has an enormous knowledge of the subject and answered many questions on the topics which interested people.
We had about an hour walking around the site,in the rain for much of the day so it was good to get on the bus and reflect on the lives we have been privileged to enjoy compared to these souls.
I got back to the hotel after four o'clock just as Brad was making a cup of coffee so timing was perfect.
Later we walked down to the Jewish quarter for a revisit of our tour to have a drink at the cafe with Singer sewing machine tables-mum would appreciate that.Our guide told us it is a lively cafe where people dance on the tables.We were too early for that.
We dined at a famous restaurant in the old square and had a very tasty meal,our last in Krakow.