On the Thursday of our trip, we traveled about 60km west of Krakow to Aushwitz-Birkenau. The camp was established in 1940 in what were then Polish army barracks. Although it was originally intended for Polish political prisoners, it eventually became the center for the extermination of European Jews. It was at this point that Birkenau (also known as Aushwitz II), about 2km west of the original site, was also added to the camp. It was at Birkenau where most of the killing took place. About 1.5 million people, including 1.1 million Jews, 10,000 Russians, 145,000 Poles, and 20,000 Roma were killed here.

The camp was partially destroyed as the Nazis fled at the end of the war, but many of the original buildings still stand. The vastness of both camps is chilling, and the calculated coldness and efficiency is still evident and still shocking. I could go on and on, but I don’t feel it is necessary. You can see our photographs here.