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Monday, December 8, 2008

Birkenau Concentration Camp


This camp was a short distance from Auschwitz Concentration Camp. A scheduled complimentary shuttle bus brought us to and from this camp. This camp was an expansion after Auschwitz overflowed with Jewish prisoners.

Top Row: Electric Fencing in the Camp, the railroad where trains of prisoners arrived.

Bottom Row: The barracks, as seen from the watch-tower; The famous watch-tower as seen in the movie, "Schindler’s List".

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Birkenau Camp Compound



In Barrack 3, prisoners were put in 'standing-cells' big enough to hold 4 standing prisoners standing back to back. The cells were like chimneys, covered from floor to ceiling by bricks, with only a small opening for the prisoners to crawl in at night after their hard-labour work and crawl out the next morning after standing in the cell the entire night. There were times where 4 might crawl in at night but only 2 got out alive the next morning, only to be put back in again at night with another 2 more prisoners.

Out of respect for those who perished, photo-taking was not allowed in that Barrack.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Birkenau Concentration Camp



Top Row (left) - Barrack (outside view). This was where the prisoners of war (POWs) rest at night. In daytime, they were sent out to work. Many were malnourished because they were only given bread (mixed with sawdust and dirt) and rotten-vegetable soup in the morning and evening. There are hundreds squeezed into each barrack.

Top Row (right) - Beds inside barrack. 4 to 5 would share 1 level. The mid-level was the best and were usually taken up by the first batch of POWs, because the roof might leak on the top-level and the floor might be too cold to sleep during winter-time.

Bottom Row (left) - The crematorium was destroyed by the guards when the allies raided the Camp.

Bottom Row (right) - Memorial plaques in various languages were placed to remember those who died in the Camp. In English, the plaque states

"For ever let this place be, a cry of despair, and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered, about one and a half million men, women and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe. Auschwitz Birkenau 1940-1945"

Sunday, November 9, 2008

More Photos Coming up..

More exclusive photos of Auschwitz Concentration Camp, and some Warsaw/Krakow sights coming up.. In the meantime, below are some recommended books on Poland from Amazon.com.

Visits since 10.10.2010