The city of Krakow, Poland attracts many visitors to its old world charm, lovely cafes and incredibly rich history. However, there is a scar left on the city. The Auschwitz concentration camp is not far from Krakow, only a bus or train ride away.
Looking for Auschwitz Oswiecim, Beginning Tour with Auschwitz Video
To begin on a historical tour of Auschwitz, visitors must realize that it is a full day trip. The tour of just the Auschwitz I camp lasts 90 minutes. The additional tour of Auschwitz II-Birkenau lasts another 90 minutes. Plus bus transport each way is around one hour and ten minutes.
Auschwitz is perhaps the most famous of all the concentration camps because it is so well-preserved historically. When visitors arrive at the bus station in Krakow, they will notice there are no blaring signs or people speaking in English directing them where to go. They must look for the proper minibus, which will have a small sign in the corner of the windshield saying, "Oswiecim" or "Muzuem."
The bus will then drop the visitor off adjacent to the museum.
Once set up with a tour group, the tour will begin with actual historical documentary footage shot on the day the camp was liberated in 1945. The short film remains untouched and raw, the footage so real and horrifying that the Museum recommends that children under the age of fourteen should not watch the video or take the tour.
Holocaust Victims, World War II History
On the tour, visitors see the actual, historical remnants of the Nazis and their prisoners. For example, the Nazis firmly believed in saving everything. There are large glass cases of eyeglasses, baby clothes and human hair - all things the Nazis saved from their victims for purposes of reuse. Also, on display are over 80,000 shoes and 2100 suitcases which bear their owner's names. SS items have also been preserved at Auschwitz, including helmets and boots as well as clubs and whips used for torturing prisoners.
There are three preserved ovens of the crematorium in Auschwitz I, where the Nazis burned their victims. Visitors can also see the gas chamber, a dimly-lit basement-like room. On the outside, visitors will walk under the famous sign "Arbeit macht frei" or "Work Sets You Free." However, the actual sign was stolen in December 2009 by thieves in the middle of the night. Less than a week later, police found the culprits and found the sign, which had been cut into three parts. In place for the time being is an exact replica of the sign until the authentic one can be fixed and put back into its rightful place.
After the tour of Auschwitz I, visitors can walk or take transport to Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp, which was actually the main extermination camp of all the Auschwitz camps. Birkenau is actually substantially larger than Auschwitz I, yet almost completely destroyed. If Birkenau had not been decimated by the SS, it would have been the most famous concentration camp in world history, not Auschwitz I.
The Polish government has done an excellent job of preserving Auschwitz. For visitors who decide to take a tour, they will receive the most authentic experience from the bus ride to the tour itself, ensuring the historical memory of Auschwitz will never be lost.
This article, Holocaust History Auschwitz II-Birkenau, discusses the history and historical preservation behind the lesser known camp.
This article, Shutter Island Dachau, discusses the World War II historical accuracies behind Martin Scorsese's latest film.
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Sources:
Jewish Virtual Library -- February 23, 2010
Auschwitz Museum -- February 23, 2010
Jennifer Ciotta - Jennifer Ciotta is the author of I, Putin (Vladimir Putin novel): http://vladimirputinnovel.com.
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