# Auschwitz trip Photos



## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Hi all,
Please find link to view photos of Auschwitz, At the moment there are just photos, I will be adding more as I get good internet access.

Please note there are 2 links one is to Auschwitz 1 = The first camp
and the second is to Auschwitz II ie Birkenau This camp cover 25 acres and is 25 times bigger than Auschwitz 1.

Auschwitz 1 = http://gallery.me.com/les.ashmore/100237

Auschwitz 2 Birkenau = http://gallery.me.com/les.ashmore/100244

Please note that these pictures can be downloaded for personal use just by clicking on them.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

A little chilling to say the least.

Cruelest animal on the planet is man


Dave p


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Are the birds singing there yet.
We have visited and it was so creepy, as it was so silent.
Not even a bird was singing.
It is a terrible reminder of the war.


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Hi locovan, Yes the birds are there, they are in Auschwitz 1 in large numbers as there are many places for them to be ie trees roofs etc, at Auschwitz II Birkenau it is a very different story, there are birds there but very few, when we questioned our guide about it, He was a lad whose grandparents were prisoners in Auschwitz he said it is because there is nowhere for them to roost or feed or nest but they are there, also all around the camp there are many trees and birds can be heard quite easily chirping away, On one of the photos at Birkenau is a photo of a stork which is of course very popular in Poland and this was literally stood on a derelict and destroyed prisoners hut, in the pictures (I think it has uploaded) are photos of ponds, these ponds are literally full of human remains and they are where the Germans were disposing of the ashes etc, It is very easy to pick up burned human bones in these areas, also these ponds are full of huge frogs and it is never quiet.

I think the thing that got to me the most was the room that is full of Human hair that was shaved from their heads some is still in braids etc, there is 2 tonnes of hair and this is only a fifth of what was recovered, there was much more used, then there is the piles of glasses and pots and pans and personal items that were confiscated, and then there are the photographs of the inmates with the dates of their admission and then their murder usually only a matter of days.
I will be adding more and more as I get better internet connections.


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## Mrs_Zozzer (Jun 7, 2009)

Zozzer and myself are going to Auchwitz next week already visited Dachu and Belsen Burgen I noticed with both the quietness of each place.


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## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

"Cruelest animal on the planet is man" 

NO just one man & we all know his name !!!!!!!! who dupped almost an entire nation.

Please DO NOT include all mankind in that statement,we should never allow this to happen again.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

It is strange that we have an urge to visit these places, but we do.
Auschwitz is on my list of places to visit.

Is it morbid curiosity or a feeling of respect for the victims.
My family are mine workers and we only lost my grandads brother in the last war.
I have visited all the places in Normandy and stood in silence and respect.
To see all those crosses puts perspective on life.


Dave P


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Sorry sersol I was generalising, mankind is the cruelest animal on the planet, we still kill murder, rape and rob each other all over the world.

Animals at large kill t eat!


Dave P


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## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

"I have visited all the places in Normandy and stood in silence and respect." 

Then you will understand my last comments :wink: .


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

And hopefully you wil see what is happening in the world today,
Amin, Mugabee etc

dave P


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## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

sersol said:


> "Cruelest animal on the planet is man"
> 
> NO just one man & we all know his name !!!!!!!! who dupped almost an entire nation.
> 
> Please DO NOT include all mankind in that statement,we should never allow this to happen again.


Dave P is correct, the whole of mankind IS responsible. Had mankind learned from the holocaust during WW2, we would NOT have seen continude genocide being committed by people like Pol Pot in Cambodia, or the rebels in Ruwanda, and across the globe.

People who turn their faces away and ignore what is happening are just as guilty as those who give the orders.


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

I am now in a location with a very good internet access so all photos will be uploaded by tomorrow.



As for the comments of responsibility, we are all aware who is responsible and yes it IS happening again, I think it is extremely important that places such as this ARE visited so that we will NEVER FORGET.

I also think that the schools should arrange visits to these sight so they can see what happened first hand in the twentieth century instead of teaching pupils something that happened in the eleventh century


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

The point for me in visiting and reflecting on such events, is that given the right (/wrong) set of circumstances, we each of us are capable of things we normally would not even consider. To say that I could not possibly do such-and-such, is I think, to miss the point entirely.

Dougie.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Personally, I could never visit such a place, I think I would be overcome at the thought of the atrocities that took place there, (way too much in touch with my feminine side).

So I'm curious why anyone, without family connections would ever want to go there, it just seems too macabre to me, no offence intended to those who would go, I'm just curious to know Why.

Kev.


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Personally, I could never visit such a place, I think I would be overcome at the thought of the atrocities that took place there, (way too much in touch with my feminine side).
> 
> So I'm curious why anyone, without family connections would ever want to go there, it just seems too macabre to me, no offence intended to those who would go, I'm just curious to know Why.
> 
> Kev.


I will try to answer that Kev.

I am not macabre in any way shape or form, I first started visiting war related sights trying to find my uncle who was lost in the second world war and as you will appreciate my generation is/was the first generation that had the facilities to look for the missing, I have visited many locations looking and whilst at these locations I was astounded and very moved at the !!!!!!!! I am going to say "Love" that was displayed by the visitors to the place and not necessarily by the relatives of the deceased, It occurred to me that this was a very correct thing to do after all if they are just "Forgotten" then their death was in vain and achieved nothing.
If a relative or friend passes away we all visit or attend his/her funeral and then afterwards their graves, a lot of these persons have no relatives able to visit their graves and I think that is wrong and their graves SHOULD be visited and they SHOULD be remembered if not by name then by some other means.
The museums of Auschwitz 1 and II do this in a very respectable way and if there are no visitors and no donations this cannot be continued, That is apart from the fact that until these places are actually seen it is not possible to really imagine the size of the crimes that were committed and how it was achieved, I have seen many many documentaries about Auschwitz BUT when you see it everything drops into perspective and does so with a bang.
I paid my respects to the murdered people at these locations not by visiting a grave, because there are none, but by visiting where we and everyone knows they were murdered I left my stones at these sights for the jewish that were murdered I left flowers for the other religions, I for one WILL remember.

a few years ago we visited the Menin gate at Ypres, that is a memorial from the first world war on this memorial there are inscribed 34,984 names of british soldiers male and female, These are names of soldiers who were NEVER found so their graves cannot be visited so it is a very poignant tribute to these soldiers, and every evening at 2000 hours the local fire brigade buglers play the "Last post" which they have done since 1928 I believe it was with of course the exception of world war II, This memorial is packed to overflowing every single night and I swear there is not a dry eye in the place, that is a very fitting tribute to those who gave their lives to the cause of freedom, I feel that this is exactly the same as at Auschwitz.
You say you could not visit because of the fact that you would be too overcome, I think if you visited them it would make you feel better afterwards I know I do, I have paid my respects and I thank them will all my heart and soul for what they all gave up so that we could be free, Freedom is the most important thing in life, and this is how Hitler worked remember the sign over the entrance to Auschwitz "Arbeit mach frie" work makes freedom.
I never knew that most of the jews who went to their deaths at Auschwitz actually paid for their own transport because they thought they were going to a better life, Who knows maybe they did ?.

I have found my uncle now, But I will continue visiting and paying my respects.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Thanks for your reply Les,

I have a better understanding of why you go there now, it's odd that I asked the question in the first place really, as when we are in Scotland, we frequently stop at cemeteries just to wander around looking at headstones, I honestly have no idea why we started doing it, maybe it's because they seem to respect the dead up there better than we do, at least they seem to take better care of the graveyards, always well trimmed, and there always seems to be plenty of fresh flowers, they are a pleasure to walk around, and I find a certain peace there, and will continue to visit them as we travel.

Kev.


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## Nethernut (Jun 4, 2008)

Kev - thought you might like to see my son's photos from Auschwitz - all B&W. Hope link works.

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=471051


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## annetony (May 1, 2005)

I couldn't see the Auschwitz pictures the link didn't work, the Birkenau ones are very good, there are a few that I remember seeing when I went in 1969 

I seem to remember when I went, that there was also a room with false limbs in, I was only 15 at the time, but I felt very humble walking round the camp. 

I also shed a few tears for all the poor victims that perished there and also for the ones that had survived, for what they had to go through, they are probably still traumatised to this day. 

My visit taught me a valuable lesson in life, and made me hate any sort of bullying or ill treatment to anyone, and yes I would go again and even reccomend a visit to anyone if they were in the area. 


Anne


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Thanks for telling me about the broken link, I apologize for that, Please find the correct link :-

This is for Auschwitz 1.

http://gallery.me.com/les.ashmore/100428

This is for Auschwitz II - Birkenau :-

http://gallery.me.com/les.ashmore/100244

ps There are more photos now.


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## 106559 (Aug 19, 2007)

An excellent presentation, truly humbling.

Let's hope we don't allow our guard to drop again.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

I wonder how many who tour France know of the concentration camp preserved in eastern France.
http://seacoast.sunderland.ac.uk/~os0tmc/occupied/struthof1.htm

With our caravan we were based on a campsite in Obernai when out for a day touring the area driving west through the Vosges we came upon it by accident. Although having reservations we decided to visit it after first finding out who benefited from the entrance fee! (It turned out to be the equivalent of our British Legion.)

We found it very moving and discovered that it was the place were 2 or 3 of those very brave girls who were parachuted into France as radio operators had been killed.


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## catzontour (Mar 28, 2007)

Thanks SaddleTramp and Autostratus for taking the time to post links and photos. It is all very moving. Thanks also Les for putting into words why you feel these sites must be visited and those who lost their life must be remembered.

Sue


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## passionwagon (Nov 13, 2005)

asprn said:


> The point for me in visiting and reflecting on such events, is that given the right (/wrong) set of circumstances, we each of us are capable of things we normally would not even consider. To say that I could not possibly do such-and-such, is I think, to miss the point entirely.
> 
> Dougie.


 :!: I agree entirely that any peoples, given the circumstances, would allow such an event to happen. If we all took time time to read the post WW1 German history you will understand why. Whilst the 6.5 million killed by the Nazis is horrific why don't we have the same (or greater ) feelings about Stalin and the 28 million he exterminated before and after Hitler. The trouble with opinions today is few people read/study the circumstances surrounding atrocities :idea:


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

It is totally true that the murders at Dzerzhinsky, Kaganovitch, Yagoda, Yezhov, and Beria are very much unknown, But I personally think that this may be because that Stalin kept it very low key and yes the British and Americans were so in awe of the man that they disregarded it in fact there was an unearthing of many bodies by the Germans in 1943 in the forest at Katyn if I remember correctly it was in the region of 21000 corpses, Stalin blamed the Germans and the British and US governments knew it was Stalin but never stated anything to the contrary for many years.

The problem we have is that nothing at all remains of these locations to visit or pay respects to.


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## StAubyns (Jun 4, 2006)

Several happenings in my life made me want to visit the battlefields of the Somme and pay tribute to a lost generation.

The main, being that I was brought up in a terraced house with a shared back yard. Next door lived a spinster by the name of Olive Chilton. She was like a second mother to me. She had had 3 brothers, all of whom lived in the house next door, all of whom enlisted at the outbreak of war in 1914. The first was killed on the 7th July 1916 at the start of the Somme offensive. The other 2 went into Delville Wood (Devils Wood as the troops called it) on the 14th July 1916. One was never seen again, the other came out missing a leg and an arm. He was invalided home and committed suicide in 1918.

It was the most moving experience of my life to stand in front of the grave of Arthur Chilton MM killed 7th July 1916.

I think that if you have visited a relative or perceived friend you will know what I mean, and if you haven't, you should.

There is nothing morbid about it, its just one way to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain.


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