Oswiecim town square

Arriving in Oswiecim from Warsaw felt like stepping back to a simpler time. We walked from the train station to the center of town where we were greeted with kids playing in a large fountain, couples drinking beer on patios overlooking the square and families enjoying the nice evening with ice cream. Our surprisingly nice guesthouse, Pierrot, was perched right next to the town square, so naturally we joined in the festivities. We enjoyed the square as we ate dinner at Max Cafe known for its delicious pizza. Still unable to understand polish, we ended up ordering a pizza with corn as a topping.

Our real reason for being in Oswiecim was not to enjoy the town square, beautiful weather or summer nights but something much more somber; visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, Nazi concentration camps where more then 3 million Jews were killed by the Germans.

Berkenau Death Camp Visit

In the morning, we ate our favorite breakfast of yogurt, fruit and bread, then topped of our camelbacks and walked to Birkenau. The camp was a few kilometers out of town and we could have taken public transport but Sara and I enjoy walking when possible. When we arrived, there were hoards of other tourists and school groups also visiting. Not sure where they all came from because they sure didn’t stay in Oswiecim.

Watchtower and electric fence at Birkenau

Entry was free but they had very strict rules about the size of backpacks allowed into the memorial. After a bit of hassle with a guard about our backpack, we finally got inside. My first thoughts were how massive this death camp used to be. The barracks stretched as far as I could see in either direction. Around the entire perimeter and separating interior spaces was a seemingly small barbed wire fence, but I guess it didn’t need to be large when it was electrified.

Train car depicting how captives arrived to the camp and then were sorted

We made our way down train tracks and passed guard gates where incoming captives had been sorted. People marked for immediate execution were sent further down the path which we continued to walk. It was a tough walk knowing that so many innocent people walked down this same path never to return.

Remains of gas chamber

It felt like I had a pit in my stomach when we walked through the gate to where the gas chamber buildings once stood. Only rubble remained because at the end of the war the Nazis tried to destroy evidence of what exactly happened. Pictures still remained and there were several images of what the chambers used to look like when they were being used. Next to the gas chambers were pits filled with the ashes of the executed.

Electric fence surrounding camp barracks

The feeling of despair and sadness didn’t go away as we left the gas chambers and walked through the rows of barracks. There were signs explaining the horrible living conditions and constant hardships of the captives. Some of the barracks were even known as “death barracks” where prisoners were moved prior to execution in the gas chambers. As a testament to the mental strength of humans, in one of the barracks there were several large drawings made by children. They depicted scenes of happy children playing with toys and brought some light to the dungeon living quarters.

Auschwitz Concentration Camp Visit

Gate into Auschwitz translates to “work sets you free”

Leaving Birkenau, we felt worn out from all the emotions throughout the visit but we were only halfway done. Next, we took a free shuttle to location of the original Auschwitz concentration camp visit. This camp was much smaller and many of the buildings had been restored into museum exhibits. Because of this and its popularity, we had to get a free ticket with a set entry time. We ended up having a few hours to kill so we wandered down the street and found a restaurant to escape from the heat and refresh.

Auschwitz was originally a Polish military base that the Nazis repurposed. They began with sending Polish prisoners who were detained for minuscule offenses but it quickly escalated. Soon, they expanded building the other concentration camps and death chambers then brought in captives from several nations. We visited several of the brick buildings with museum exhibits. The most powerful one to me was when we saw the location where they experimented with Zyklon B gas on prisoners before it was used in the gas chambers. There were also punishment cells so narrow it was impossible to sit down as well as cells where captives died from suffocation.

Recreation of children drawings found in concentration camps

The last exhibit we visited featured recordings of Hitler’s and other Nazi leaders spreading their hate. It was bone chilling to hear their messages followed by cheers. Other rooms of the exhibit were dedicated to honoring the executed Jews. Another heart wrenching room had walls recreating children drawings found throughout the the concentration camps.

Recovering from an Emotional Day

Both physically and mentally exhausted, we returned to the happiness of the town square for more pizza at Max Cafe. We were prepared with some translation help and found a good basic pizza. Neither of us had trouble falling asleep afterward.

In the morning, we took time to research where to go next. I found a mountain range to the south in Slovakia that seemed promising for hiking. Mid day, we said goodbye to Poland as we headed to the High Tatras of Slovakia.

Auschwitz Berkenau Concentration Camp Gallery

Oswiecim town square

Front gate of Birkenau

Perimeter fence at Birkenau

Photos taken by the Nazis on display in Birkenau

Path of captives sent for execution

\"To the memory of the men, women, and children who fell victim to the Nazi genocide. Here lie their ashes. May their souls rest in peace.\"

Building used for for storage adjacent to the barracks

Wooden barracks (most are no longer standing)

Interior of barracks - up to 800 people would be held in one

Barracks surrounded by electric fences

Washroom adjacent to the barracks

Rows and rows old barrack plots

Row of barn style of barrack

Tracks where captives arrived For sorting after train passed through main gate

Electric gate surrounding Auschwitz

Courtyard where many prisoners were executed

Cut away of punishment cells - captives were forced to stand in the small dark cells

Warning sign at electric fence in Auschwitz

Sunset in Oswiecim

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