Above is the electric double fence surrounding Auschwitz I concentration camp. Containing 28 buildings, the camp eventually ran out of room and Auschwitz II–Birkenau was built.
This is the main gate into Auschwitz II–Birkenau. This complex contained over 300 buildings and was about 1 square mile. Many of the brick building were built by reusing the bricks from the Polish towns demolished by the Third Reich. Birkenau primarily functioned as an extermination camp in the context of Heinrich Himmler's preparations for the Final Solution of the Jewish Question, the extermination of the Jews.
The wooden barracks would house up to 1000 prisoners. The camp inmates were plagued by lack of water, terrible sanitary conditions, and huge number of rats.
Inside this barrack on the chimney, there was a small memorial with the above note. It was very difficult not to become emotional when reading the final lines.
The brick building in a distance is what remains of one of the four gas chambers and crematoriums. In the foreground, you can see many brick chimneys, the only remains of the wooden barracks.
Bonnie didn’t join me on today’s excursion due to the fact that Auschwitz is such a difficult place to see. Hoping we can regain some energy for our last few days in Poland, we are both taking it easy tonight and staying in.
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