Auschwitz

We all know that Auschwitz existed.  We learned it in school.  It's not until you visit here and walk the halls that it really sinks in.  How could this happen?  Could it happen again?  It still gives me goose bumps when I think of this day that we visited.  Over a million people were murdered here.  Mostly Jews.

Example of area where prisoners slept after working for 12 hours.  Crammed in these rooms with only straw or burlap to sleep on.  No heating,  deplorable conditions.  Most prisoners were dead within a couple of months if that.  Sometimes it was only hours or days depending on the 'selection' made by the Germans.

This area was used for shooting groups of prisoners.  They also had suffocation, starvation and standing cells as ways of torture and death.

As people had come here with the promise of being relocated they brought one suitcase with their worldly possessions.  When they arrived this was taken from them.  The Germans then sorted anything that could be used or sold.  This included prosthetics, hair that was shaved from their heads and gold that was pulled from their mouths after death.

Shoes of the people.  This is only one mound.  There was lots more!

Prisoners were brought from all over to this camp.

These children are on their way to be gassed, murdered!

One of the many crematoriums where the bodies were cremated.

And not only were these people murdered they also conducted experiments on their bodies.  Twins were especially valuable for comparing symptoms.  How barbaric!

They didn't have guards because they didn't need them with this very high voltage fencing.  Lots of prisoners threw themselves against the fence to end their misery.

Birkenau was the camp where the people were brought and immediately gassed.  Many didn't survive the 5-7 day train trip in cattle cars with no food or water just to be off loaded here.

There used to be a platform here where the people were unloaded.

There are crematoriums where bodies were cremated.  The more you look the more chimneys you can see.  I don't know how many there were but there were lots.

And today we're told that some people believe the Jews got what they deserved and they don't see anything wrong with what took place.  REALLY!!!!