Auschwitz-Birkenau: A reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust
The Auschwitz complex in Poland is somewhere that should never be forgotten however uncomfortable or horrific as individuals we find the history. Bearing witness to the holocaust and the atrocities of humanity worldwide is something we must all acknowledge. We should learn from the experiences of all involved to ensure it never happens again.
A visit to Auschwitz brings home the reality of what happened in this exposed Polish landscape over 80 years ago. The people who were murdered here are remembered. The crimes against them are not sugar-coated and every face in every photograph, every shoe, bag or wire-framed spectacle has someone who once loved life and needs to be remembered.
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I have thought hard about whether and how I should share my time at Auschwitz and the pictures I should include. It is a fine balance between respect and macabre and I hope I have found that balance.
A brief history of Auschwitz-Birkenau
While most people have heard of Auschwitz, the story behind it is less well-known. The site developed over time, evolving as the goals of the war changed. When it was originally established between the wars, its role in history could never have been predicted.
Auschwitz I was the first camp on the site, built around 22 already-established army barracks and buildings in the Polish village of Oświęcim. In 1940, it was used as an internment camp for Russian and Polish political prisoners and criminals. However, in 1942 it became a concentration camp. The initial intention was to work Jews, along with Roma, Sinti, political prisoners, and homosexuals, to their deaths. Soon after, the objectives of the camps changed and they became sites of mass murder using the newly designed and constructed gas chambers.
Auschwitz II, also known as Birkenau, is three kilometres away and is much bigger than Auschwitz I and is where most of the prisoners died. The train platforms where the horrific selections took place are at Birkenau and the train tracks are a lasting symbol of the brutality that took place here. The strong were kept alive to work as slave labour while the weak went straight to the gas chambers which now stand in ruins.
Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest Nazi death camp and up to 6000 people were killed in the gas chambers each day. Of the estimated 1.3 million people sent to Auschwitz, at least 1.1 million were murdered as part of the Nazis’ “Final Solution”. These were mostly Jews who were transported in cattle trucks from all over Europe.
On 27 January 1945, Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army during the Vistula–Oder Offensive. Most prisoners had been ‘evacuated’ during the January 1945 Death Marches, but those that did remain were found in desperate conditions.
In April 1946, the Polish Ministry of Culture and Art sent a group of former prisoners to Oświęcim to protect the site of the Auschwitz camp and set up a museum. The museum opened formally in June 1947. In 1979 Auschwitz-Birkenau became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Auschwitz I Tour
Visiting Auschwitz I is where the story of the camps is told and where the artefacts and information can be found. The tour starts at the iconic ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ gates which translates to ‘Work sets you free’.
Each of the block buildings beyond the gates explores a different aspect of life at the camp. They have clear information boards outside and inside a route takes you through rooms with displays and further information.
The guides take time to explain each room and highlight the stories behind the pictures and people. The displays are heartbreaking. Children’s shoes piled high, suitcases packed with memories and addresses that would never be returned and cooking pots and pans to build a new life wherever the families ended up.
After visiting the barracks the route takes you through the barbed wire fences to the Commander’s House and the first crematoria built as an experiment in the use of gas for mass extermination.
Auschwitz II – Birkenau Tour
Birkenau is completely different to the Auschwitz I site. It stretches as far as the eye can see and is surrounded by woodland on one side. The scale of this camp is beyond anything I had imagined. Visiting in winter is cold and exposed and the living conditions of people are beyond imagination.
The second part of the tour starts at the railway tracks into Birkenau and the main gate. At the far end of the tracks are the remains of the crematoria that were destroyed by the Nazis before they fled. A large memorial at the end of the tracks remembers all those who died in the crematoria.
Everywhere you look there are the remains of the accommodation huts. Many are just chimneys from the basic heating systems but some are still standing and show the horrific living conditions that were endured by the prisoners.
Guard towers are in place around the perimeter of the site and their presence gives an ominous feel even 80 years later. Barbed wire and spotlights on the fences are equally intimidating and made me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Practical information for planning a tour to Auschwitz
If you are thinking of visiting Auschwitz, there are various practical things you need to know before you go. This includes ticket purchases and entry arrangements.
Auschwitz Tickets
Auschwitz can be busy, especially in the summer months and during holidays. Entry is free but you do need to book in advance with the museum suggesting at least a month before your visit. You can book tickets here.
Group Tours
If you visit Auschwitz as a group you have to have a guide. The guides have an incredible amount of knowledge which they share during the tour. They pace the tour so you have time to see the important artefacts and highlight important displays. If you travel alone then you may be required to join a tour group. This only happens when the site is busy and they need to group entry times and restrict the time spent on the site.
Ticket prices
While entry into the site is free, you do need to pay for a guide. The prices vary depending on the size of the group and the length of the tour. You can view the 2023 price list online.
How long is needed to visit Auschwitz?
To visit Auschwitz at least three hours is needed, although you can spend much longer if you take your time without a guide. Tickets include entry into Auschwitz I and the much larger Birkenau (Auschwitz II) sites. There is a shuttle bus between the two sites and our guide stayed with us for the entire tour.
Should children visit Auschwitz?
A visit to Auschwitz is not recommended for children under the age of 14, although during our visit there were much younger children in our group. It is up to parents, who know their children best to make the decision to take them to the site and to also prepare them for their visit.
I believe this is somewhere everyone should visit to understand the past, but this has to be done when the time is right for each individual.
Getting to Auschwitz from Kraków
Auschwitz is an easy day trip from nearby Kraków with options to travel by bus, train or as part of a group tour.
Auschwitz is located just outside the town of Oświęcim, 70km from Kraków.
Buses depart hourly from the main bus station in Kraków, MDA dworzec autobusowy which is next to the train station. The bus trip takes about 90 minutes each way with a stop right by the Auschwitz Memorial.
It is also possible to take the train from Kraków which takes a similar amount of time. The train station in Oświęcim is about 1.5km from the Auschwitz Memorial site.
There is a range of organised tours from Kraków to Auschwitz-Birkenau. These will pick you up in the city and arrange all the entry tickets and guides for you. It is also possible to combine a trip to Auschwitz with the Wieliczka Salt Mine although this becomes a very long day.
Entry into the Auschwitz Site
Timed Entry
When you have booked your entry time to Auschwitz you will be sent an entry pass. This is a digital bar code that will be scanned when you enter the site. Your details will be checked against your ID card or passport so make sure that you have this with you.
Security
Auschwitz has tight security similar to airport screening. You cannot take large bags and anything bigger than 30cm x 20cm x 10cm (about A4) will not be allowed in. You are not allowed to eat during the tour so any food needs to be in your bag or left on the bus. All bags will pass through x-ray screening.
Headsets
Once you have had your ID checked and passed through bag screening you will collect a headset. This is linked to your guide’s microphone.
By using the headsets, the guide can keep their voice low and speak to their own personal group without raising their voice. Given how crowded some areas can be, this keeps noise to a minimum and maintains the atmosphere and respect within the site.
Rules For Visiting Auschwitz
There are rules for visiting Auschwitz that are provided on the museum website. The guides will also remind you during the tour. This is a memorial to mass murder and as a mark of respect to all the victims, you should follow the rules during your visit.
- Visitors should ‘behave with due solemnity and respect’
- Visitors are obliged to dress in a ‘manner befitting a place of this nature’
- Photography is allowed, but tripods or flash are not allowed
- Photography is forbidden in two areas: Block 4 Room 5 and underground Block 11. The guides will tell you before you enter these areas
- This is not the place for selfies and this is enforced by the guides
Feelings and emotions
A visit to Auschwitz should not be taken lightly. A heavy weight descends as you enter and there is an oppressive feeling that is hard to shake or even explain as you tour the site.
Many people describe their visit as a wave of immense emotion, but I can truly say I felt no emotion. I was numb. I know the stories, I have read the books and I have seen the films, but nothing prepared me for the atmosphere that hangs in the air.
Going as part of a tour was difficult for me. I wanted to stand and absorb. To take my time to think and reflect, but this was not possible. The tour had a schedule that did not allow for pauses and wandering. If like me, you are an introvert then you may want to consider a
I also found it hard to reconcile the mass crowds and ‘attraction’ status that the site has while being the grave for millions of people. The museum is beautifully presented and the guides are fantastic but the number of people that are able to get tickets can lead to a feeling of mass tourism. If you want solitude, visit out of season, during the week or very early in the morning. The site opens early and at this time you can be alone with your thoughts.
