I was never a big fan of history in school.. even though I had to take several AP and Higher Level exams throughout my schooling on it… I dreaded every single one of those classes. Not because I thought history was pointless or unimportant. But because I read over and over in a book of all these events that truthfully I could not picture or grasp.
While I love traveling because I enjoy seeing amazing places, meeting great people, eating tons of food that I would never otherwise try… I have fallen in love with bringing history alive. Sometimes it is beautiful and spring forth life into me. Other times, it brings me to tears and disbelief that anyone could have endured events and circumstances I have simply read about it books.
One of these events is by no means alien to anyone that has gone through the educational system in any county… the Holocaust.
While I have read about the holocaust countless times in books, it was not until I met a holocaust survivor in middle school (a field trip we took) that I truly felt and empathized with those that perished during or survived this time. Was I heartless until that point? I don’t think so, but I definitely only read and studied to pass that quiz and exam I would be given with no real focus on the impact it has had on who Jews are today, how far society has come… and quite frankly how far we still have to go.
No experience however, could compare to my visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. I played professional volleyball in Poland at the time, and we had a game in a close by city to the concentration camps. A teammate and dear friend of mine requested to find our own way back from the coach and was approved. I don’t think we truly knew what we were up for when we decided to go. We knew about the holocaust… but being in Auschwitz-Birkenau allowed us to somewhat put true emotions and feelings to it.
It was at first a very jolly ride on a bus to the gate, but as soon as we stepped off the bus it was immediately FREEZING! We had on large warm coats, gloves, thermal socks, mittens and even a warm beverage, and we were still unbearably cold. Maybe we should have come in the summer we teased… but it immediately hit us as the words were exchange… Could victims of the holocaust have that choice, to come back when it is warm? They had less clothes than we had on, less food, and worse circumstances… yet we have survivors to tell of their experience. That jolly ride to the concentration camp just took a 180 turn…
As you enter onto the compound past the usual ticketing center you see a sign “Arbeit Macht Frei” which translates to “Works Make (You) Free.” Quite frankly, as you and I know, no work amount could free anyone that entered into a concentration camp, but the Nazi’s found a way to provide false hope. It looked like a bunch of factory type buildings that were structured to almost make it seem like a town within itself. There were blocks with different purposes (such as for experiments). As we walked through several rooms, we saw hair from those killed in gas chambers, shoes, clothes, luggage confiscated. It was beyond any book could put into words, more than I can explain all the disgust, hurt and remorse I felt in an instant.
In this concentration camp alone, 1 million people lost their lives. 1 million+ people walked that same path I walked in that day, and fewer came out than went in. 1 million+ people starved, worked, cried, smiled, played and spent life within those walls. So, while my experience at Auschwitz-Birkenau was a lot to take in and process, it helped me to face the history I could not have otherwise received regardless of how many times I read textbooks.
In a play I recently watched titled Imagining Madoff, the question was asked… How many Jews does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Answer: 6 million and 1! (6,000,001).
Why? It is estimated that 11 million people were killed during the Holocaust. Six million of these were Jews. So, that 1 Jew was left to be able to screw in the bulb…. painful to think about isn’t it?
So as you travel more and more, it is great to see the fun things of a country… all the cool sites and take pictures to be able to tell the tale of that time when you did this or that… But I urge you to take the time to trace back the history of countries you visit. See what that country has endured, ask questions, and realize that where you stand now holds so much more than the famous landmark you want to post on Instagram/Facebook.
One of the signs at Auschwitz-Birkenau was a quote which read: “The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again.” George Santayana.
Have you visited somewhere usually just found in history books that had a great impact on you? Please share below or share your thoughts on this post.
See a few photos taken while I was at the concentration camp.
