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From the beautiful ancient capital Krakow of Poland, following Route 44 westward for about an hour by car will take you to Auschwitz - a small and peaceful town with a population of nearly 40,000 people located at the confluence of the Vistula and Sola rivers. This place is known worldwide as the Auschwitz Concentration Camp during World War II, after Nazi Germany invaded Poland.
Auschwitz: A Must-Visit Attraction When Traveling to Poland
On a late winter afternoon in 2016, during a trip to Prague (Czech Republic), we had the opportunity to visit this place. It was inevitable to visit after reading numerous books and watching movies depicting one of the most horrific addresses in human history. Seventy-two years ago, the world was shocked to learn about Auschwitz - a complex of three camps, including concentration camps, forced labor camps, and extermination camps.
In the cold and solemn atmosphere, amidst the ruins and exhibits displayed in the museum area, visitors seem to review documentary footage in slow motion about the indescribable atrocities at the most evil extermination camp in human history operated by Nazi Germany during World War II.
About 1.1 million people perished here, mostly Jews, while others were prisoners of war, Gypsies, children... They were mistreated and killed by the most brutal torture methods, from beatings, starvation, forced labor in factories, medical experiments to the climax of gas chambers, crematoria, mass graves...
Auschwitz: A Haunting Tourist Destination
Next to the stuffy rooms lies the crematorium with its solid black steel doors. The railway tracks and abandoned carts that once carried the bodies of prisoners serve as silent witnesses to the unfathomable atrocities committed by Nazi Germany. Tears are surreptitiously wiped away, both by the writer and perhaps by those in the room, all eager to leave quickly. For it seems the air here has been drained by these crematoriums, even though their fires have been extinguished for over 70 years.
A crowd of tourists gathers in a small courtyard around the guide sharing information after the war ended. This concentration camp was partially used by the Allied forces as a hospital, primarily treating prisoners. And some war crime trials for SS members who operated the camp took place here, with 12% of the 7,000 SS officers and soldiers being convicted of war crimes. The first camp commandant Rudolf Höss was one of those sentenced to death and was hanged right where he once sowed atrocities. In the distance, a wooden scaffold with a gallows is where the camp commandant stood in remorse as the evening sun sets.
Every year, Auschwitz welcomes over 1 million visitors from around the world, many of whom are descendants of prisoners who were incarcerated or perished in this concentration camp. They travel far and wide to witness firsthand and feel the pain, the suffering that their fathers and grandfathers endured, only to hastily depart on the same day, not even staying for a night to explore the ancient town center with its many beautiful views. Perhaps the somber atmosphere of this place lingers in their minds, making it unbearable for them to stay.
After the war ended, the Soviet Union and the Allied countries demolished most of the architectural structures, factories, prisons, and crematoria here to avoid stirring up painful memories. Some chemical factories built by Nazi Germany were retained and maintained by the Polish government at that time, providing many jobs for the local people. In 1947, the Polish government turned some of the remaining areas into museums to inform the world about the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany. In 1974, the Auschwitz camp was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Stepping away from what was once a place of earthly hell, everyone wonders and still cannot find an answer as to why humans could treat each other so brutally. Hopefully, such sorrows will never be repeated.
By Lã Phi Long/Entrepreneur Saigon
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Reference: Travel Guide Mytour
MytourJune 9, 2017
