DAY 2
We traveled after a hearty polish breakfast to the site of KL Auschwitz II - Birkenau. This camp is located about 3 km (1.5 miles) from the first camp. It was built by prisoners of Auschwitz 1. The camp held at it's peak approximately 100,000 souls and was the only location to tattoo numbers on the people processed through its gates. Birkenau was the primary location for Hitler's final solution - it is est. that 1.5 million souls were lost at this location alone. The shear magnitude of the sorrow was incredible, we passed a group of Israeli pilgrims at one point who were praying at each of the four crematoriums - their voices echoed of the most heart wrenching sorrow imaginable. We only spent about 3 hours here but we were all drained emotionally (daddy was extra tired as Alli wanted to be carried most of the way versus riding in her wagon).
From the guard tower looking out onto remnants of Area 1 and the inbound rail yard of the camp. In between the rail road tracks is where all the condemned were offloaded at which point 75% were forced towards the primary gas chambers for immediate execution.
Guard tower view of Section 2 of the barracks. This area was made of wooden buildings designed to hold 52 horses but each was converted to hold 1,000 humans on tri-level racks with beds of wood and straw.
Guard tower view of the remnants of Section 1. Mostly brick buildings
What the condemned saw as they were offloaded - the infamous guard tower/entrance to the death camp.
Allison complete with headphones and a DVD player, touring the camp. Our way of keeping her happy and mostly oblivious to her surroundings.
We traveled after a hearty polish breakfast to the site of KL Auschwitz II - Birkenau. This camp is located about 3 km (1.5 miles) from the first camp. It was built by prisoners of Auschwitz 1. The camp held at it's peak approximately 100,000 souls and was the only location to tattoo numbers on the people processed through its gates. Birkenau was the primary location for Hitler's final solution - it is est. that 1.5 million souls were lost at this location alone. The shear magnitude of the sorrow was incredible, we passed a group of Israeli pilgrims at one point who were praying at each of the four crematoriums - their voices echoed of the most heart wrenching sorrow imaginable. We only spent about 3 hours here but we were all drained emotionally (daddy was extra tired as Alli wanted to be carried most of the way versus riding in her wagon).
From the guard tower looking out onto remnants of Area 1 and the inbound rail yard of the camp. In between the rail road tracks is where all the condemned were offloaded at which point 75% were forced towards the primary gas chambers for immediate execution.
Guard tower view of Section 2 of the barracks. This area was made of wooden buildings designed to hold 52 horses but each was converted to hold 1,000 humans on tri-level racks with beds of wood and straw.
Guard tower view of the remnants of Section 1. Mostly brick buildings
What the condemned saw as they were offloaded - the infamous guard tower/entrance to the death camp.
Allison complete with headphones and a DVD player, touring the camp. Our way of keeping her happy and mostly oblivious to her surroundings.
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