The nightmare behind Auschwitz

Auschwitz II also known as Birkenau where about 90% of victims were murdered.

History has never been my favorite subject, in fact every time someone would bring it up my mind spaced off. I’ve never been interested in learning anything about the past to be honest. However, as I made my way into Auschwitz I’ve never been struck with so much knowledge that kept me wanting to know more. I remember watching boy in the striped pajamas in high school and still not wrapping my head around the fact that millions of people were killed in the 1940s for either being a Jew, Polish, or simply going against Hilter's viewpoint of the perfect race.

Thousands of pan that were collected by the Nazis when they took the Jew's luggage.

More items taken from the victims.

Just a little glimpse of the room that was filled with shoes.

I however was not prepared for what I witnessed at Auschwitz. I was walking the halls as Nazi soldiers, I was in gas chambers where a million Jews were murdered. I saw piles of shoes that were left behind. Let me tell you when I saw pile of shoes it is an understatement. A room filled from top to bottom of shoes. In the same block we saw a room filled with hair of women that were murdered. My heart dropped, tears starting coming down. The soldiers would shave the women's heads before sending them off to the gas chambers. We weren't allowed to take pictures in this room and quite frankly I understand why. This block also had children's clothes displayed. In this room we saw piles of everything possible that could've been left behind. In a room there were suitcases, the suitcases had names because the Nazi soldiers told the Jews to label their suitcases. I could read actual names of victims. As I left that block I've never felt more disgusted about the evil behind the Nazis. We walked through the prisons where they kept the Jews or polish before they would execute them.

Baby clothes and shoes that were displayed.

 When the Jews would arrive to the camps they were selected, those that would go to work at the camp and those who would be put into the gas chamber. Usually women and children were sent to the gas chamber because they were "useless" only those who would benefit the Nazi would live. The Nazi's would tell the Jews they were being relocated to have a better life because they were not wanted in their countries. They would tell the children they were going to take a shower but instead were taking into gas chambers. It is hard to believe that the Holocaust happened. That innocent people were killed because they were different.I don't believe there is an excuse for what the Nazi's did and I hope history never repeats itself.

Inside the gas chamber.

I don't believe my body has ever felt so many chills as it did when I stood in one of the remaining gas chambers in Auschwitz. All the others were burned down by the Nazi's so they would hide all proofs of the evil they did. About 1.1 million people were killed in Auschwitz. What I don't understand is how the Nazi's were capable of doing this for so long? How could the world stand aside and watch innocent people get killed? Our tour guide told us that 1-2 years after the camps were shut down, victims opened the camp as a museum and gave tours. Its fascinating to me how so quickly after this chaos victims were telling their stories. I could not imagine reliving my nightmare every time I gave a tour. 

Everyday is a new chapter in history. Some chapters are longer than others, some we wish we could skip, some we wish we could replay. The holocaust has made an impact on our lives whether we know it or not. It is its own story that leaves us speechless but pushes us to be better in today's world. As awful as the Nazis were it is up to us to make sure history never repeats itself and to honor those innocent victims that were murdered by Hilter.