Auschwitz-Birkenau

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This is the place to visit if you're ever thinking the glass is half full. It really is shocking to see what humans are capable of doing to one another and Auschwitz is a leading example of this. But places like these, as unfortunate and disturbing as they are, are necessary to visit and learn about. As the philosopher George Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." And while I'd rather let the photos speak for themselves, I'll leave these few observations:

 •  The size. Auschwitz was much smaller than I had imagined, while Birkenau was much larger (Birkenau is 30 times the size of Auschwitz). Auschwitz was the administration camp while Birkenau was the extermination camp. Monowitz, the industrial camp and the largest of the three, no longer exists.

 •  The chimneys. Almost all of the 300 wooden barracks that held prisoners at Birkenau are gone. But the chimneys remain. Chimneys as far as I could see. It was haunting.

 •  The music. At both camps there was rock music being played on speakers just out of reach, it was odd. It didn't seem appropriate. But as a French guy I befriended said, "You'd be playing music too if you lived here."

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