I will struggle to forget what I saw
Pupil tells of chilling Auschwitz visit
The opportunity emerged at my school for two individuals to be able to go to Poland and visit Auschwitz-Birkenau.
I have always had a passion for history so I knew instantly that I had to apply. I was ecstatic when I found out I had been chosen because I believe that Auschwitz is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that everyone must experience.
Before the trip, my partner and I participated in various seminars to consolidate our knowledge of the Holocaust and study pre-war Jewish life.
We had a long journey ahead of us including an early flight and a bus journey to the camps.
During this I can remember feeling apprehensive, I really did not know what I would be walking into.
Modern day Auschwitz 1 is a museum displaying the horrors of what went on under the not so watchful eye of Rudolf Hess, the camp commandant.
I will struggle to forget what I saw. It is hard to imagine the amount of belongings that still call Auschwitz home, possessions ranging from spectacles to suitcases, pots to shoe polish.
The most shocking of all however, without a doubt in my mind, was human hair. Real people’s hair that was shaved off as a form of punishment, just for being Jewish.
I saw a little girl’s pigtails in glass cases on display as a visual reminder of the shocking acts that went on behind the gates of Auschwitz.
Leaving Auschwitz 1 was a relief. But I felt guilty that I could just walk out, unlike millions of others who were trapped there for the rest of their lives.
Upon visiting Birkenau, I knew I did not want to enter.
The death camp was as vast as the human eye could see. Looking to the horizon, mist clung to the perimeter of the camp keeping its dark past.
The silence was deafening. I can honestly say that Birkenau is the most eerie place I have ever visited.
There is not much left at Birkenau, allowing us to focus more on what was there before the Soviet army liberated the camp.
Birkenau is like a horror story in real life, remnants of gas chambers and shower rooms made me feel horrified and saddened by humanity.
Again leaving Birkenau, this time in the pitch dark surrounded by a soft orange glow from the lamps, presented Birkenau differently, showing us just how terrifying it really is.
My trip to Poland really opened my eyes to how cruel humanity can become when power falls into the wrong hands.
It has inspired me to take my experiences further by undertaking my own seminars in school for Holocaust Awareness Week in order to educate future generations.
I am grateful that I got to be a part of the trip and it has certainly helped me grow as a person.