Concentration Camps
Discussion
I know people regularly comment on Auschwitz but has anyone else visited any of the old concentration camps in Germany?
Last week we visited Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp, which is the one shown in Band of Brothers (iirc) and is where Anne Frank died (along with about 60,000 others.
I've never been anywhere quite so distrubing in all my life, the cemetery was a big opening in the forest and there were no birds singing at all. As we walked down the paths there were huge mounds either side which huge granite tombstones on the side stating there were 5,000, 6,000, 2,500 bodies in each mound.
All the buildings had been demolished but you could clearly see where a lot of them were and in the exhibition building the photo's were just horrific.
I felt emotionally drained when we lift and still find it quite hard to actually comprehend what happened there wasn't a film, it was real.
They should make it compulsory for all school children to visit these camps and the WWI trenches, that should teach them some respect.
Terrible terrible place.
Last week we visited Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp, which is the one shown in Band of Brothers (iirc) and is where Anne Frank died (along with about 60,000 others.
I've never been anywhere quite so distrubing in all my life, the cemetery was a big opening in the forest and there were no birds singing at all. As we walked down the paths there were huge mounds either side which huge granite tombstones on the side stating there were 5,000, 6,000, 2,500 bodies in each mound.
All the buildings had been demolished but you could clearly see where a lot of them were and in the exhibition building the photo's were just horrific.
I felt emotionally drained when we lift and still find it quite hard to actually comprehend what happened there wasn't a film, it was real.
They should make it compulsory for all school children to visit these camps and the WWI trenches, that should teach them some respect.
Terrible terrible place.
Did Auschwitz And Berkenau (spelling all wrong in know but can't seem to form the correct spelling) about 5 weeks ago.
It might have been the beautiful day that we visited, but didn't get in anyway affected by either site.
Auschwitz was like a german prison camp as seen in countless movies and Berkenau (still can't get the spelling) was more like a derelict butlins. Even the gas chambers didn't move us.
Came away largely wondering how it was possible to logistically process so many bodies and looking for more information about the day to day lives as they weren't particularly well explained in any detail.
Maybe it would have been different if it had been a cold wet miserable day.
It might have been the beautiful day that we visited, but didn't get in anyway affected by either site.
Auschwitz was like a german prison camp as seen in countless movies and Berkenau (still can't get the spelling) was more like a derelict butlins. Even the gas chambers didn't move us.
Came away largely wondering how it was possible to logistically process so many bodies and looking for more information about the day to day lives as they weren't particularly well explained in any detail.
Maybe it would have been different if it had been a cold wet miserable day.
I have been to Dachau just outside Munich. Although not officially a "death" camp it was classed as a work camp I found it a very sobering experience. Gas chambers were built, but supposedly never put to use. Having said that there were still 32000 deaths there from memory. Quite a few buildings still remain as a memorial to the atrocities with the theme of "Never Again".
I went on a weekday and there were school parties there, during an audio visual presentation the effect upon the children was quite eye opening with the strongest weeping and the effect on some being a strong display of raw emotions.
Tim
I went on a weekday and there were school parties there, during an audio visual presentation the effect upon the children was quite eye opening with the strongest weeping and the effect on some being a strong display of raw emotions.
Tim
I went to Sachenhausen, near Berlin when I was at school.
Whilst it was a work camp and not a death camp, it was a moving, fascinating place that portrayed the horrors extremely well.
I went in February that year and it had just snowed. I was wearing 2 coats, hat, etc and have never been so cold in all my life. The prisoners wearing only what amounted to pyjamas must have suffered beyond comprehension.
It was remarkably preserved - firing range (complete with bullet holes in the wall) buildings, everything was quite accurate.
It was a very eerie place and you just had a 'feeling' that bad things had happened there. There were large mounds of grass and what was under them didn't really bear thinking about....
To sum the experience up, my school party were all 16-18 years old. On the coach on the way there, there was the usual larking about, laughing, throwing stuff, etc. From about 5 minutes after getting there, and the whole way back to our hostel.....Silence.
Whilst it was a work camp and not a death camp, it was a moving, fascinating place that portrayed the horrors extremely well.
I went in February that year and it had just snowed. I was wearing 2 coats, hat, etc and have never been so cold in all my life. The prisoners wearing only what amounted to pyjamas must have suffered beyond comprehension.
It was remarkably preserved - firing range (complete with bullet holes in the wall) buildings, everything was quite accurate.
It was a very eerie place and you just had a 'feeling' that bad things had happened there. There were large mounds of grass and what was under them didn't really bear thinking about....
To sum the experience up, my school party were all 16-18 years old. On the coach on the way there, there was the usual larking about, laughing, throwing stuff, etc. From about 5 minutes after getting there, and the whole way back to our hostel.....Silence.
The bit that freaked me out at Auschwitz was some tiny enclosures they used to lock people in. Too low to stand, not enough space to sit or kneel.
Gas champer yes very nasty but at least you die, the torture was the bit that got me.
On the plus side we learned a lot more about the human body quicker then we would have. Not worth the pain and suffering though.
Gas champer yes very nasty but at least you die, the torture was the bit that got me.
On the plus side we learned a lot more about the human body quicker then we would have. Not worth the pain and suffering though.
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