# Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II Birkenau - Poland Nov 2016



## shatners (Nov 10, 2016)

This was a very emotional day spent exploring the two sites, humbling, harrowing but something I have always wanted to see for myself, to understand first hand the scale of the atrocities committed by the Nazis… I have to say though, even stood there in Birkenau looking along the platform site back at the gatehouse whilst you can take in the sheer size of the camp its just impossible to comprehend the numbers of people who lost their lives there. Walking through the site was chilling and incredibly emotional and even after almost a full day of walking around them both I doubt we saw half of it.

It was a very low striking hazy sunlit morning so I shot both sites in black and white to try and capture the atmosphere and some of the striking shadows and lines.

History

At its peak of operation, Auschwitz consisted of several divisions. The original camp, known as Auschwitz I, housed between 15,000 and 20,000 political prisoners. Those entering its main gate were greeted with an infamous and ironic inscription: “Arbeit Macht Frei,” or “Work Makes You Free.”

Auschwitz II, located in the village of Birkenau, or Brzezinka, was constructed in 1941 on the order of Heinrich Himmler (1900-45), commander of the “Schutzstaffel” (or Select Guard/Protection Squad, more commonly known as the SS), which operated all Nazi concentration camps and death camps. Birkenau, the biggest of the Auschwitz facilities, could hold some 90,000 prisoners. It also housed a group of bathhouses where countless people were gassed to death, and crematory ovens where bodies were burned. The majority of Auschwitz victims died at Birkenau. More than 40 smaller facilities, called subcamps, dotted the landscape and served as slave-labor camps. The largest of these subcamps, Monowitz, also known as Auschwitz III, began operating in 1942 and housed some 10,000 prisoners.

During World War II more than 1 million people lost their lives at Auschwitz. In January 1945, with the Soviet army approaching, Nazi officials ordered the camp abandoned and sent an estimated 60,000 prisoners on a forced march to other locations. When the Soviets entered Auschwitz, they found thousands of emaciated detainees and piles of corpses left behind.





































































































































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## shatners (Nov 10, 2016)

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## Scaramanger (Nov 10, 2016)

nice set but a sobering place to visit no doubt..


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## oldscrote (Nov 10, 2016)

Some stark images there mate,must have been a sobering experience,thanks.


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## rockfordstone (Nov 11, 2016)

stunning photos mate


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## Missymoo16 (Nov 11, 2016)

Stunning set of photos the black and white really captures the sorrow of this site


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## Brewtal (Nov 11, 2016)

That's a great report. You have captured such a horrible place in a beautiful way. Stunning pics as always, thanks for sharing.


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## Sam Haltin (Nov 11, 2016)

Very nicely done. The black and white photos certainly makes this an even more sadder place.


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## Wrench (Nov 11, 2016)

Nice photos of a haunting place, your photos convey the feeling of the place. I have never been yet but last year I visited Salaspils on the outskirts of Riga, after being there a while I found I could no longer take pics I just sat and thought and I'm going to make an admission here, for the first time in many years I actually started to cry, there were four of us and it was a very solemn and strange drive back into Riga. Salaspils is nothing like the scale of this place so I fully expect to be an absolute a mess when I visit here, but I will and I think everyone should. I believe in Poland they make all school kids go twice, once in primary and once in secondary. 
Well done for photographing a very distasteful relic from history in a tasteful manner.


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## krela (Nov 11, 2016)

Beautifully shot. There aren't words for this place really.


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## The Wombat (Nov 11, 2016)

This is one place I turned down a visit to. We were on a stag do, and it would have been a buzz kill.
That said, it would have been a really interesting place to visit.

Excellent set there Shatners.


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## shatners (Nov 11, 2016)

Thanks all..... very kind and I completely agree with all of the above.

There were a lot of areas I chose not to photograph, some of the buildings contain items that were present at the time of liberation, possessions of the people brought there and murded. One room has 2.5 tons of human hair in a pile and Im not the slightest bit ashamed to say I was just not prepared for seeing that and had to walk outside in tears... looking at pigtails of hair clearly cut from children it was unbearable and impossible not to start to think about my own children :-( Apparently the Nazis sold the hair to private industry for insulation and furniture stuffing :-(

At the same time I'm so pleased I went, its been in my thoughts every day since I got back, especially today and will be a constant reminder of just how lucky I am to have the life, family and freedoms I enjoy today.


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## The Wombat (Nov 11, 2016)

shatners said:


> Thanks all..... very kind and I completely agree with all of the above.
> 
> There were a lot of areas I chose not to photograph, some of the buildings contain items that were present at the time of liberation, possessions of the people brought there and murded. One room has 2.5 tons of human hair in a pile and Im not the slightest bit ashamed to say I was just not prepared for seeing that and had to walk outside in tears... looking at pigtails of hair clearly cut from children it was unbearable and impossible not to start to think about my own children :-( Apparently the Nazis sold the hair to private industry for insulation and furniture stuffing :-(
> 
> At the same time I'm so pleased I went, its been in my thoughts every day since I got back, especially today and will be a constant reminder of just how lucky I am to have the life, family and freedoms I enjoy today.



Well said mate.

I can't imagine what it would be like to see this first hand


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## HughieD (Nov 11, 2016)

Really suits black and white. When I went a few years back it was a weird feeling. It was this truly underwhelming place where something overwhelming happened. Very well photographed.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Nov 12, 2016)

For people of my generation, who perhaps had relatives or friends in the Army that actually came across these places, overheard/recalled conversations never seemed to centre initially on the horrific sights, it was always on the horrendous, all pervading stench that announced these places - well before they were seen. 

There are some quite horrific 'account books' looking at the value of transporting people into slave labour - cost of the actual train / transport journey compared with the value of work the actual person would / could do. Thus one was shot immediately or died starved and worked to death! The comments about the hair are another indicator of how the Nazis viewed other nationalities - saleable commodities, dead or alive. It should also be noted that not all hair was to be used for 'industrial' purposes - Hair that showed Germanic or Aryan properties was sent to wig makers, so that badly disfigured service personnel with severe scalp wounds could have the best quality wigs provided.


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## Mikeymutt (Nov 12, 2016)

That is a cracking report and the usual high quality pictures.a place I have always wanted to see.to pay my respects to the horrid acts of the time.sadly the world never learnt from it.a real sobering place to make you reflect how the little things in our lives are insignificant to what these people suffered here


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## skankypants (Nov 12, 2016)

Shatners,that's a stunning report...I was told to have a look at this thread by you from my old man who has seen it...and it's pure quality.thanks for posting


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## Bones out (Nov 12, 2016)

Sobering....


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## flyboys90 (Nov 13, 2016)

Stunning set of images of a very grim place indeed.


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## shatners (Nov 13, 2016)

Thanks all for the kind comments and Dirus for the information... really interesting thank you.



skankypants said:


> Shatners,that's a stunning report...I was told to have a look at this thread by you from my old man who has seen it...and it's pure quality.thanks for posting



Thanks mate... long time no see, will have to catch up at some point


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