Anyone been to Auschwitz?

[Phidippides]

I'm wondering who here has been to this death camp. I've visited Dachau before, though apparently it qualifies more as a "concentration camp" than a "death camp". If memory serves me right, Dachau led to some 30,000+ deaths in total, whereas Auschwitz led to some 600,000+ deaths or so. I would like to go to Auschwitz sometime, though it is more out-of-the-way than Dachau is. If you've been to both of these camps, please give a comparison between the two.

[Klaus]

I "only" visited Mauthausen twice.

[Jim O]

I also visited Mathausen. I have never been to Poland.

[Lancer44]

I visited Auschwitz twice. First time I was 14. Second time 20.
On both occasions I went there with my mother. It was late October. It was chilling cold and windy. Almost no visitors. At first time we had beed lucky. We get guide ex-prisoner of Auschwitz. She actually still leaved in Auschwitz.
(Couple of buildings were converted into apartments for Museum workers).
This lady dedicated her whole life to education about Auschwitz.
We get extended tour. She took us even to burning pits - uncovered burning pits where no visitors were allowed. She took a handful of ashes and show us. I could see tiny bone fragments in ashes.

I can tell you that Auschwitz is really leaving lasting impression on anyone.
Of course everything depends from time. If you visit in summer when plenty of kids of all ages are there, drinking Coke and eating ice cream, the whole thing is trivialized.

Lancer44

[Klaus]

Wait a sec: There is still ashes in those pits? That was 60 Years ago.

She still lives in Auschwitz? Thats hard.

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Lancer44

Of course everything depends from time. If you visit in summer when plenty of kids of all ages are there, drinking Coke and eating ice cream, the whole thing is trivialized.

I have heard this same observation from others and in the press.

[Klaus]

I believe you. But Ashes? Still after over 60 years? If they don't get rid of the grass from time to time you wouldn't propably see anything. Just the pit. And if it is not normaly shown to visitors, why should they bother? I am not calling anyone a liar. Don't get me wrong. But that is strange isn't it?

[Lancer44]

Originally Posted by Klaus

I believe you. But Ashes? Still after over 60 years? If they don't get rid of the grass from time to time you wouldn't propably see anything. Just the pit. And if it is not normaly shown to visitors, why should they bother? I am not calling anyone a liar. Don't get me wrong. But that is strange isn't it?

Hi Klaus,

I'm 49. As I said first time I visited in 1970. So only 25 years after the war. During this time there were intensive works to discover the extent of extermination. As I understood Auschwitz is not definite story. During 70's
Museum workers were still discovering many things.
In 1945 Soviets took camp and used it as POW camp. During their reign many traces were lost. This lady guide told us that even the gate, the famous "Arbeit Macht Frei", was already loaded onto soviet truck and some ex-prisoners bought it back for couple bottles of vodka.

Additionally afer soviets left camp, (I think in 1947), both Auschwitz I and II
were subjected to wild "treasure rushes". Tresure hunters were digging everywhere after one of the workers discovered some diamonds in the wall of hut in Birkenau.
In 70's some unscrupulous treasure hunters started to dig in places where burning pits were situated looking for gold. Indeed they found melted pieces of gold like nuggets.
Some of them had been caught and sentenced. I remember that public was outraged reading the news in paper.
I lived barely 60 kilometers from Auschwitz in Katowice, (Kattowitz) so all what happened around Auschwitz was frequently reported in local papers.
It is possible that what I had seen was a wild excavation, but I don't recall
the guide mentioned it. She just show us the place. There was no grass at all, just a slight depression on the ground and ashes were not gray but black, somewhat slimy.

It is your right to ask about anything mate and I'm just happy to answer.

Lancer44

[Jim O]

If I recall correctly from my reading, the "Arbeit Macht Frei" hung over the entrance to Auschwitz I, the original concentration camp, not at the death camp, Auschwitz II (Auscwitz-Birkenau).

arbeit_macht_frei.jpg

[Lancer44]

Originally Posted by Jim O

If I recall correctly from my reading, the "Arbeit Macht Frei" hung over the entrance to Auschwitz I, the original concentration camp, not at the death camp, Auschwitz II (Auscwitz-Birkenau).

Attachment 204

You remember well Jim. But where I said the opposite?
Both Auschwitz I and II were used by soviets after the war.

Visiting Auschwitz usually go first to Auschwitz than fetch the bus or walk to Birkenau.
Commonly both complexes are called Auschwitz. Both belong to the Museum.
I would not separate Auschwitz I as concentration camp and Birkenau as "extermination" camp. They were so close and basically one administration units.
Workers parties were constantly walking between them. I read that sick and unable to work prisoners were transported to Birkenau to be gassed and cremated. When Crema I in Auschwitz I ceased to work, all cremations were done in Birkenau.
It is true that those people from transports which were directed straight into gas chambers never seen Auschwitz I and minority of them were classified as able to work, tatued and marched from Birkenau. But the mere fact that they not died on the first day in camp meant nothing. Large percentage of them not lasted even 3 month and went back to Birkenau dead on lorries.

Lancer44