I am stuck in the middle of some really powerful stuff here. I am in Krakow which is celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the fall of the Soviet rule. At the same time I spent the day at the saddest place on earth Auschwitz. I will write about Krakow later, a great city that does need to be separated from the devastation and inhumane treatment of mankind that I exhibited today.
What can one say about a place the size of about 6 football fields that 1,500,000 people were killed at? How can I put into words the total devastation that I felt. I can not. I can tell you some random thoughts though.
What can one say about a place the size of about 6 football fields that 1,500,000 people were killed at? How can I put into words the total devastation that I felt. I can not. I can tell you some random thoughts though.
- First of all we all have a duty to make sure that something like this never happens again.
- The museum did an excellent job on the exhibits and their guided tours
- The torture and living conditions are beyond comprehension.
- While not Jewish my father, brother , sister and I would have been killed immediately. My mother and other sister would have probably lasted 40 days, the average life expectancy for victims.
- Most of all of my friends would also have been immediately killed.
- There were over 250,000 children below the age of 15 that were killed within 30 minutes of arriving at camp. They show a room filled with baby and child shoes that brought a tear to my eye. They also have a room filled with human hair that was shaved off of all victims before the bodies were burned.
- To walk into a gas chamber and then the crematorium made me physically sick.
- All Polish children are required to visit the camps prior to their 14th birthday. If it was possible, I think all children should need to do this.
I could go on and on, but I need to stop that thought process so I can go to bed. I would like to let everyone know what a beautiful city Krakow is. It is very old and has the largest public square in Europe. It is surrounded by spectacular churches and towers. The square is alive 24 hours a day. On the hour, every hour, a fireman plays a beautiful revelie on a trumpet. He does this 4 times as he switches windows to play the melody in each direction. It is wonderful.
Enjoy the pictures, the early ones are of Krakow, followed by the ones from Auschwitz.
Off to Budapest in the morning. More importantly John will be there where I arrive!!!
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