Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland
Friday, July 22, 2005
I am going to add very minimal commentary here, because, really, what can I say that others have not said far more eloquently? This is the sort of place best experienced quietly, with reflection. There are even signs at the entrance to the museum requesting that people be solemn, and I am pleased to say that almost every visitor who was there when we were touring the sites was indeed solemn. Auschwitz and Birkenau are powerful places--especially the latter, with its vastness.
The above is my only photo of Auschwitz. There were a lot of visitors there, and I did not want photos of such a place crowded with tourists.
However, we did not get to Auschwitz II-Birkenau until late in the day. By then, the tour buses had left, and there were only relatively small numbers of visitors touring the site. Plus the absolute vastness of this place swallows up its visitors. Nothing you have ever read or seen on TV or in movies about this place can prepare you for just how immense and overwhelming it is. All the rest of these photos are of Auschwitz II-Birkenau.
The next two photos are taken from atop the tower at the main gate and give a good impression of just how vast this place is.
