SITES AROUND THE AUSCHWITZ BIRKENAU

Discussion in 'The Holocaust' started by Maksym Chornyi, Apr 7, 2019.

  1. Maksym Chornyi

    Maksym Chornyi Active Member

    SITES AROUND THE AUSCHWITZ BIRKENAU

    My new material from the Poland-2018 trip took me almost a month of researching, writing, editing. I have visited the Auschwitz memorial site and want to share with you ‘beyond-the-fence’ walking experience along the locations of the historical significance, generally poor known among the visitors. With great respect, I hope this article can widen your understanding of the place, motivate for mindful history and to make your own travel.

    I would be greatly appreciated for your feedback (comments, questions, suggestions) as it energizes me to work and share new materials with you. Travel your own history.

    https://war-documentary.info/beyond-birkenau/

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  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    As I just said elsewhere, having not realised it was on here too: really interesting stuff.
    The embedded map is great. Really nice to see how smoothly that works now, opening straight into the ubiquitous Google Maps on my phone with directions ready to go.

    Haven't been myself, but suspect you're onto something very positive with such round & about guides to sites.
     
  3. Maksym Chornyi

    Maksym Chornyi Active Member

    Thank you for your positive feedback. I have always considered writing as my passion and now my blog as a mean to do it and share with the others. I would once make an interactive map on the main page with the articles within a World map. All in one place
     
  4. hucks216

    hucks216 Member

    Another good effort. I do like your efforts and look forward to reading them.
    When I visited Auschwitz a couple of years ago I completely forgot to visit the sites of the Red & White cottages but did manage to see the Tobacco Factory near the main camp, Aussenlager Jawischowitz and the greenhouses at Aussenlager Raisko. There are so many related sites within a stones throw (or almost a stones throw) of Auschwitz I, II & III that I expect you could write numerous blogs and not be able to cover them all.
     
  5. Maksym Chornyi

    Maksym Chornyi Active Member

    You made the point and I try to fill this gap between the general tourist routes on one hand and the enormous volume of not so obvious information about Auschwitz on the other. I would share my next article called 'Sites beyond Auschwitz-1' within the next two weeks. You can find FB follow button inside any article not to miss. Would appreciate your feedback. I've covered all four Tobacco buildings among the other sites.
     
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  6. Ol Rappaport

    Ol Rappaport Remember, do not forget

    Very interesting and well-presented. I hope your work will encourage others to explore beyond the tourist trail.

    I'm retracing the last days of wife's grandparents. They arrived at Auschwitz on 21 January 1943. I joined a 'Tourist' in September 2017 and realised that we had not visited a single site where my grandparents had been. A year ago I arranged for a private tour and visited the Alte Judenrampe, the Little Red and White Houses (Bunkers 1 & 2) What struck me was the beauty of the site that day. There were purple irises growing around the cattle truck at the Alte Judenrampe, the birchwoods were filled with birdsong and the flower-filled meadow next to the track from the Red house to the Little White House buzzed with insects. Even the ditches between the barracks in the main Birkenau camp were filled with wildflowers. (I've attached a pdf of an article I wrote for my local Quaker newsletter)

    I realised what I was experiencing was a galaxy away from what my grandparents witnessed. So I returned on January 21 this year to be there on the anniversary of their murder. The ground was waterlogged and frozen solid, but even then I saw a small heard of roe deer cross my path as I walked towards the Little White House. Though I was alone I could see that others had come to visit here too.

    Later at the Birkenau memorial I was shocked at the number of people there (I had forgotten it was also the anniversary week of the liberation) I laid down photographs of my grandparents, lit candles and began reciting the prayers. I sensed myself surrounded, opened my eyes and found a dozen or more people photographing me and more importantly Paul and Frieda's photos. These pictures have laid hidden for decades until six years ago, now they are flying across around the world in cyberspace. At first I felt intruded on, but then I realised I had given faces to incomprehensible statistics.

    [I think the sites of the undressing barracks and the ash pits next to the Little White House are reversed on your excellent map.]
     

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