Monday, March 15, 2010

Never before Experience

It had snowed whole night. The view from the 11th floor of the apartment was beautiful. It was a white blanket. I woke up at 4 am to leave for Karkow in the first available train. Equipped myself with two jackets to fight the cold we reached the station by 6 and thus started a journey which would be once in a lifetime.
We reached Krakow in just 2.5 hours and were pleasantly surprised. In our plan we had roughly designed we had targeted to see only the places in the city and not to take any long trips. But not everything goes according to the plan and these are some instances which help you build that faith, that not everything, which didnt happen as per your wishes was bad.
We were caught by couple of taxi drivers who were trying to sell the idea of going to Auschwitz. We weren't mentally prepared for this. But the 2nd driver who sold the same, somehow convinced us to visit a historical place. One of the good decisions made by us. It's a 75 Km Drive from Krakow main city station and approximately takes an hours or so to reach there.
Snow didnt seem to stop and we were enjoying every bit of it. The way the white flakes of snow settled on the windshield was beautiful until the wiper cleaned it for the fresh snow to deposit.
Our driver took us to a near by Village for us to take a few and we enjoyed in the freshly laid snow for a few minutes.

From Krakow
As we reached Auschwitz, we watched a movie which shows in short the details of what's in store for us as we enter the blocks. The first glimpse of the camp a board which says "Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work makes one free).

From Krakow


The entire camp is secured with high tension electric wires which are next to impossible to break.

From Krakow



The prisoners which would arrive there would be screened whether they are fit to work, and the rest would be led to the gas chambers, by giving them the reason that they are taking them disinfect with a bath. Once in the gas chambers they would be closed in the special room and then using cyanide they would be killed. Once they would be killed they would be snatched of their valuables including golden teeth and other jewelery, before being moved into the furnace. Just the thought of the same brings in shivers.

The kind of places the prisoners were made to live were simply inhuman, though it this term may not fully justify in portraiting the facts.

I guess the details of the life there could be found on many sites , but the thought itself is way outside my thinking limits as to how can someone get it done on such a huge magnitude.

Going there gives one the real meaning of FREEDOM and how we can really appreciate it.

From Krakow


The different blocks where the prisoners were put up.

From Krakow


The Death Wall. This is a place where many prisoners were shot dead or killed.

From Krakow


From Krakow


From Krakow


Place where Rudolf Hoss was finally pushed to death.

Worth a visit if you get a chance.

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