Remembering the Holocaust: Auschwitz
Photo credit: Saskia Simpson, Y13
On 10 November 2022, A-Level History student Saskia Simpson travelled to the site of Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz with the Holocaust Memorial Trust. In this article she reflects on the experience. Please be aware that this article contains upsetting content.
As I came out of the village of Oświęcim, it stood, a looming presence in front of me. It was impossible to ignore and surreal to watch as people passed this horrific reminder of our history, many going about their daily business even though time here has stood still for so many.
No birds sang as we stepped through the gates where they once walked, remembering the horrific events that passed here. Buildings stretched far and wide, disappearing into the distance as far as we could see. We entered the first building and saw the indents on the steps where the victims had been - hundreds of thousands of people all condemned to die. Women, children, men, Jewish people and thousands of other marginalised groups - all deemed Nazi enemies.
It brought tears to my eyes seeing the huge amount of shoes taken from the helpless people of the Holocaust: the piles of women’s hair, cut off and taken from them. The ruthless Nazi control and actions of many people, destroyed over 6,000,000 lives, taking away their identity and tearing people away from their families. Train tracks lined the centre of the concentration camp, dropping hundreds of people off at once, ready to be sent to the gas chambers and to their undeserved death.
As I came out of the village of Oświęcim, it stood, a looming presence in front of me. It was impossible to ignore and surreal to watch as people passed this horrific reminder of our history, many going about their daily business even though time here has stood still for so many.
No birds sang as we stepped through the gates where they once walked, remembering the horrific events that passed here. Buildings stretched far and wide, disappearing into the distance as far as we could see. We entered the first building and saw the indents on the steps where the victims had been - hundreds of thousands of people all condemned to die. Women, children, men, Jewish people and thousands of other marginalised groups - all deemed Nazi enemies.
It brought tears to my eyes seeing the huge amount of shoes taken from the helpless people of the Holocaust: the piles of women’s hair, cut off and taken from them. The ruthless Nazi control and actions of many people, destroyed over 6,000,000 lives, taking away their identity and tearing people away from their families. Train tracks lined the centre of the concentration camp, dropping hundreds of people off at once, ready to be sent to the gas chambers and to their undeserved death.
Photo credit: Saskia Simpson, Y13
It is impossible to comprehend the scale of mass murder or the huge amounts of families that were affected by the atrocities that took place. Led not only by Nazi control but anti-Semitic behaviour stemming from way back in 15th Century Europe. Over thousands of years, the hatred and Othering of Jewish people increased and was considered the norm of society and, even in the 21st century, we are still observing anti-Semitic behaviour.
Many Jewish people tried to leave Germany before the Holocaust began, to escape a country that was becoming increasingly hostile and unsafe. However the 1938 ‘conference of shame’ highlighted that countries would not help Jewish people by allowing them refuge and accepting them into their society.
As we laid down a candle and read the Jewish prayer of peace, we remembered all the horrific events that occurred at Auschwitz Birkenau and prayed for it never to happen again.
Survivors today consider the events of the Holocaust as other-worldly and find it difficult to comprehend that they were part of such a devastating occurrence. I will always remember my journey to Auschwitz and the huge amount of information I learnt from the Holocaust Educational Trust - I would thoroughly recommend anyone doing A-Level History to apply to their programme.
Saskia Simpson, Y13
Many Jewish people tried to leave Germany before the Holocaust began, to escape a country that was becoming increasingly hostile and unsafe. However the 1938 ‘conference of shame’ highlighted that countries would not help Jewish people by allowing them refuge and accepting them into their society.
As we laid down a candle and read the Jewish prayer of peace, we remembered all the horrific events that occurred at Auschwitz Birkenau and prayed for it never to happen again.
Survivors today consider the events of the Holocaust as other-worldly and find it difficult to comprehend that they were part of such a devastating occurrence. I will always remember my journey to Auschwitz and the huge amount of information I learnt from the Holocaust Educational Trust - I would thoroughly recommend anyone doing A-Level History to apply to their programme.
Saskia Simpson, Y13
