Sobering Day: Mauthausen Concentration Camp

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Friday 13th June
Back on the coach, to find our way out of the Czech Republic. A long road, and we don’t quite make it across the border before Freddie’s drivers hours run out, so we stop at a service station for 45 minutes. Next obstacle is getting a refund on the Czech Road Tax. The border “sends us to the Devil” (service station) - but their machine is not working, so we welcome everyone back into the Czech Republic having already welcomed them to Austria! The other Devil service station also works and thankfully we get a rebate along with all the other money that we’d left behind at the entrance to the country (still think that’s a strange system though!). We then had to look out for a place to renew the Austrian road tax. By the time we finally got to Mauhausen Concentration Camp (anticipated arrival 2.30pm) it was 4pm and we were too late for the video/audio tour, so armed ourselves with a guidebook and prepared to do our own audio tour. By the time we got to the entrance to the camp itself, others decided to get more guidebooks and people separated into groups. We wanted to be careful as many have found this experience harrowing, but I think the video would really have helped to contextualise it. Found the statues on the way out very telling. No formal meeting tonight, but time to discuss our feelings from the Concentration Camp. We then arrived very late at the campsite, but the tents were quickly up and dinner was finally ready around 9.30pm… we were soon told by others on the campsite that “this is not a party place” (obviously group of young people means parties… not our group, although we do like to have fun!). Everyone asleep by about 10.30pm, although some had come with me to find the train station/work out the ticketing (still unclear).

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