Alright, I don’t even know where to begin this next blog. In the past week or so we have visited Terezin and Auschwitz. We also visited a smaller town in the Czech, but in comparison to the concentration camp visits I feel that is a little irrelevant. Words can’t describe the lessons I have learned from the classes prior to these trips and the visits. But, I guess I will give it a go.
T E R E Z I N
I wasn’t really sure what to expect from our Terezin visit. I knew that it wasn’t a killing factory, but by no means did it make it a spa like what it was presented in the propaganda. The walk to the camp itself was very humbling. About a half mile long walk lined with trees and graves to the left leads up to a ghostly front gate. This gate is trimmed with black and white brick and has the infamous “WORK WILL MAKE YOU FREE” painted.
While we were at Terezin we learned that few people did actually escape. But, that if you were caught trying to escape they picked your friends to stone you to death. That to me was extremely frightening. I can’t imagine what was going through the minds of the people that had to partake in these acts. The whole experience was very eye opening.. and we were allowed to leave. When we were there we went into a cell were 600 people were forced to live. This room was pretty similar in size to my living room. I just kept thinking while we were there that I would be forced to live with my entire high school and middle school. This whole trip has taught me so much about gratitude, Auschwitz especially.
S C H I N D L E R
Leading up to Auschwitz we visited the Schindler’s factory. The night prior I watched it for the first time. The factory museum really did the holocaust justice, I believe. The noises that you heard walking through were nothing like I have heard before. Two parts of the museum really hit me hard. You had to walk almost a mini maze of Nazi flags, that to me was extremely erie. Seeing an actual Nazi flag was a little shocking for me. The sound of bombs dropping while you walk there made me realize my problems are nothing like other people’s struggles. From there you kept walking through rooms that were dark and all the sudden you turn the corner and it was a white walled room with grey gravel and part of a barbed wire fence. The whole thing was just very humbling.
A U S C H W I T Z
Our trip from Krakow to Auschwitz was an easy travel. The 23 of us loaded into our Mercedes bus, continued playing with our iphones and tried to get comfortable to nap. I just kept thinking while we were on our way that we will get to leave. How selfish am I that I am upset because I was unable to get comfortable to sleep. My mind flashed to the cattle cars that they were shipped in and how awful their conditions must have been. It made me realize all the stupid little things that I have complained about on this trip as well. The struggles with the internet, or the poor showering conditions of our hostel, my pillow not being as fluffy as mine back home is nothing in comparison to the struggles and hardships that they went through. And, we got to leave.
Seeing two tons of human hair might have been the single my impacting thing I have ever witnessed. I can’t even think of something that would way 2 tons, no clue. But, two tons of human hair is enough to make your stomach drop. While we were the pots and pans also got me a little teary. Because you know that they were brought my moms would who worried about providing for their families. Little did they know exactly how little they would have. I really enjoyed the trees that were planted by the victims. They were fertilized with their ashes, and planted with their sweat. Nice to know that they live on atleast throught that. I don’t think anybody can really describe their experience to Auschwitz. I think that is an extremely personal thing and that everybody takes away something different. But if I have any advise, it is that everybody should visit it at least once in their life. If you really take it all end I don’t believe that you will walk out the same person that walked in.
E T C.
As I noted earlier we also made a small trip in Czech to visit an estate and a wine cellar. The wine was extremely good but kinda of creepy and smelly down in the basement. I am glad that we went, but it was nothing like what I thought it was going to be. I really enjoyed the trophy room at the palace that we visited. It reminded me a lot of home, which is creeping up fast everyday. But, we also stopped on our way to Krakow in Ostrava at the industrial center and at the Salt Mines. Personally loved the mines and however I could have been okay if we didn’t stop at the industrial center. I am sure many people on our trip enjoyed it, but it just wasn’t a main topic of interest for myself. All and all very influential week. Thank you for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment