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Published: August 10th 2003
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During the summer of 2003 I traveled through
Eastern Europe. My travels took me to many places where the darkness of recent history was remembered. The Occupation Museum in Riga, the KGB Head Quarters in Vilnius and the whole of Warsaw s Old Town - so much was lost to Europe in the wars, both hot and cold, that ripped through the last century.
Auschwitz one of the most well known places steeped in tragedy from the second world war. 60 km's from Krakow, many hostels organise day trips and public transport is also available.
The two camps slaughtered around two million people, more people than I will ever meet or maybe even see. The numbers were vast, 27 nationalities, 90%!o(MISSING)f the victims were jews.
Most of the camp remains, though only one crematori remains, the gas chambers and crematories at the end of the infamous train tracks were destroyed by the Nazi's before the liberation of the camp by the Soviets on January 27th 1945 - 57 years before I write this.
The 30 or so prison houses have been converted into museums. Some house the mountains of human hair, glasses, shoes, coats and even
artificial limbs harvested from the camps victims before their murder. Cloth made from human material is gathered in one area ready for the furthering of the Nazi war effort.
The Nazi's achieved the most efficient genocide process yet seen, the victims were often duped into heading east where there were towns full of Jew. Notifying the authorities and consenting to boarding the trains that ultimately would take them to Auschwitz or Birkenau. The victims were kept controlled and calm right till the end, told that they were being processed and had to shower to keep down the number of parasites and diseases. The victims were then gassed, and again processed, this time the gathering of gold fillings, jewelry and other valuables that the victims took with them for the start of their new life.
One of the crematories remains, together with a small gas chamber. The Nazi's industrialised genocide, mass produced the slaughter of people, and then collected every ounce of valuable material from their bodies.
The second world war was justified. But the allies knew nothing (or very little) of Auschwitz during the war, the justification of the British involvement was the German invasion of Poland,
an ally. The Germans then continued invading all neighbouring non-allied countries. The war in Iraq was justified on the basis of weapons of mass destruction, today January the 21st, they still have not found evidence of these weapons, though much evidence of brutal crimes has been uncovered. Can this war be justified, the lost lives of the troops on both sides? The civilians caught in the crossfire, the lives affected by the terrorists bred from the hatred of the west. I don't know and I don't claim to, though some good has come from the liberation of the people of Iraq many lost their lives and could a peaceful way not have been found to remove the dictator? One thing is clear, the justification given by our governments at the time hasn't proved to be true, and it isn't clear if that will ever change.
More Information on Auschvitz
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davyuen
non-member comment
nice introduction
detail information and photos to mention the location of Auschwitz.