Auschwitz

The day began with breakfast. A bowl of corn flakes and two pieces of toast and jam. Next, a walk to the coach bus that was taking a group of tourists to Auschwitz and Auschwitz II - Berkinau for a four hour tour.

During the bus ride a film including original footage shot by Soviet soldiers was shown. The images were, of course, disturbing - but there wasn't any footage that I hadn't seen or any information I hadn't heard.

My earliest memory of learning about the Holocaust and WWII was seeing "The Diary of Anne Frank" when I was very young with my mother. I don't remember really understanding much, other than that the theater was neat because the stage was very rounded. My second memory is from the first or second grade. My mom and I only had public television and I remember one night sitting on the couch with her watching a documentary. I remember being frightened that men were going to come down the hallway and take me. In the eighth grade we preformed "The Diary of Anne Frank," using our church for a theater. Kenny Stevenson chose Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" to play during the arrest scene.

I learned more about the Holocaust and the many attrocities of the 20th century throughout middle and high school. And always there was Auschwitz - the Germanized name of a Polish town about an hour outside Krakow where, in a series of three camps, about 1.5 million people were methodically abused, tortured, used, and exterminated.

Thanksgiving weekend of 2011 I traveled there for the first time. I am sure it will not be the last - some day I hope to take my children there. But, I hope to put several years between me and my next visit.

It was one of the hardest days of my life, and one of the most important.

I remember...

• the looks on other visitor's faces - universal despite language barriers - the look of horror, disgust, despondency, fear of opening your mouth because you don't know what to say and you don't know if you'll get sick...
• the two tons of human hair, and the roll of material made out of human hair  by a German textile factory...
• the image of a triplet baby tortured by Dr. Mengele...
• the 1.5 km walk from one end of Berkinau to the other...
• the cell where Maximillian Kolbe saved another man's life by offering to starve to death in his place (the man was present at Kolbe's beatification)...
• the pond where they disposed of the ashes...and learning that they also used human ashes for fertilizer...
• so much more...

My actions after returning to Krakow show my great fortune despite any problems I might have. I went to a restaurant, enjoyed the warmth, and ate Borsht soup and pierogies. I had dessert. I had coffee. I went back to my hostel and left the cold behind, sleeping in my warm, clean bed. 

I am so blessed. Beyond all else, seeing the museum at Auschwitz and seeing Berkinau preserved as it was found helps remind me that above all I am blessed. Because I have choice, I have food, I have warmth, I have medicine...

I'm blessed.

Baci,

Mari

Click here to view these pictures larger