Autzwichs

We had an exhausting day visiting Austwizchs, do to emotion and the hot, hot sun. Autzwichs and Birkenau are right outside Krakow and were the largest Nazi concentration camps. On route to the camp, we played a historical video on the camps in the coach bus to prepare us for what we would see. Our group had a tour guide and walked us through the camps with headsets explaining all the pain, torture and humiliation the poor people that were brought here had to endure.

Over 1 million people were brought to the camp, but only a small percent made it past 'inspection' and avoided immediate death. That population was made up of 90% Jews. The tour takes you through the living quarters, punishments cell blocks, gas chambers, work fields and 'bath houses' (although never actually had water). There were saddening displays of the suitcases, dishes, shoes, hair (shaved off the women) and toothbrushes collected from those that perished.

I asked our guide if in his 15 years of touring, he had had a tourist recognize a relative from a registration paper, photo, or otherwise. He had indeed been joined by an American who was visiting under no assumptions and came across a relative's suitcase with their name and information on it.

The museum and memorial of Autzichs and Birkenau was actually set-up by a group of survivors. On the way back to the city, our group prayed for survivors and thanked the Lord that that experience was here on earth and we have a Heaven to go to without such horrible sites and treatment.