Auschwitz visit

Greebo · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:13

I have just come back from a stag weekend in krakow, Poland and the lads including myself all wanted to see Auschwitz.

I am in shock still to be honest. Of course I knew about the place but it's only until you have visted that you realise the true enormity of the horrible things which went on there.

honestly, if you ever get a chance to visit there, even on a stag do, please do so. It will change your life forever.

That's all

JBuk · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:15

Sounds like a really fun stag do lol

when I get married i'm going to request a visit to Bosnia and while we're there we can visit some mass graves or something

Greebo · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:18

JBuk said:
Sounds like a really fun stag do lol

It was tbh. All the usual drunken antics, partying 19 to 20 hours per day, women etc.

However, soemtimes in life you need to see and feel history, especially one of the worst things to ever happen in human history and we took advantage of the fact it was so close in order to visit it.

Otherwise who knows if any of us ever would have.

Scania · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:19

Its one of the things I will do in my life, and am ashamed that at nearly 40, I have not been there myself yet.

Captain_Slick · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:20

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
ashamed that at nearly 40, I have not been there myself yet.

Why are you ashamed?

Cosimo · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:23

It is a harrowing and haunting experience. We were numb when we left and it does leave a lasting impression. As Greebo said if you get the chance go and see the place.

Twentyone · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:27

One of the places I have to visit at some point.

Stolly · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:27

I spent a day at Terezen once, near Prague. It doesn't seem real until you seen the shelves of hand written ledgers detailing exactly the numbers being sent from there onwards to the death camps.

Greebo · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:28

simulatorman said:
It is a harrowing and haunting experience. We were numb when we left and it does leave a lasting impression. As Greebo said if you get the chance go and see the place.

I have never seen 10 burly blokes be almost silent for 4 hours. And although you read and see about it, it's only when your there that it truely sinks in.

For example, the room full of human hair weighing 2 tonnes. You can see all the women's hair with plats in. Then you read the notice and it says the Nazi's shipped over 10,000 tonnes of human hair out of there then you realise how many people went through the camp.

And that's just one room. The ones with children's shoes really hits home.

JBuk · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:29

Was there any Jew skin lamps?

orderoftheflame · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:29

simulatorman said:
It is a harrowing and haunting experience. We were numb when we left and it does leave a lasting impression. As Greebo said if you get the chance go and see the place.

Agreed.

Worth the visit.

Greebo · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:33

JBuk said:
Was there any Jew skin lamps?

Not on display but there were pictures and references to them.

JBuk · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:34

/shudders

KNiVES · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:36

JBuk said:
Was there any Jew skin lamps?

I thought this was a joke, but then I looked it up

Auschwitz is a horrifying testament to the atrocities of the Nazi regime.

reilly · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:40

I went in the summer, and just a word of warning it gets very busy so try and go early. You can book the tour through your hotel/hostel and they are sometimes cheaper than going to the camp itself and getting tickets (As they will group book). It is quiet an eye opener, and all the jokes some people crack in everyday life about the war are then put into prospective when you are there.

Ahleckz · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:40

I've been to Dachau, the first concentration camp, and it's a truly harrowing experience. It's quite amazing really.

koolpc · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:41

Been watching the series on Auschwitz on 'Yesterday'. Blimey, it is harrowing. Brings home the true horrors that went on there. God bless all those who suffered.

platinum87 · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:43

It is a depressing place for most people, tell me why exactly do you want to go to such a place, or why you recommend it.

Greebo · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:43

After being there I'm not sure whether it was better to have been sent to the right straight to the gas chambers rather than the camp since the average life expectancy working in the camp was 3 months.

A lot of the people photographed and hung up on the wall lasted just weeks.

With the 12 hours per day of working in freezing temperatures cleaning out ponds, for example, wearing just pajamas it's no wonder.

And the Germans ran it like a money making machine. 20 to 30 kilos of gold melted down from peoples teeth were shipped out every month. They even made the Jews buy train tickets to come to the camp.

I have now realised just how evil some people can be.

Have a few photos from our visit.

Shoes taken from people as they were asked to strip before going fo a "shower"

Inside the first gas chamber

The furnaces for burning the dead bodies

The memorial.

Greebo · 14 Nov 2010 at 19:49

platinum87 said:
It is a depressing place for most people, tell me why exactly do you want to go to such a place, or why you recommend it.

Because everybody needs to know about this place. The memorial plaque I posted up above sums it up really.

People today have very little comprehension about how evil people can be and how horrible things have been. It is a life changing event visiting there and as such, it should be on everybody's list of things to do before they die.