Report from Auschwitz

Hiya evereyone!

So, I thought I'd just write a quick wee blog about what we've been doing on the trip!

On Thursday, we basically just did ice-breaker games and getting to know each other, and Friday morning was the same. Tis a good bunch, all from Germany apart from me and Judit, the majority are still in school, and then there's a few of us who are a bit older. But they're all grand. A few funny characters. One huy loves his Star Wars. Says if he sees anything to do with Star Wars he has to have it. Tis funny, cos most of us are reading books about Auschwitz or concentrations camps and he's reading some Star Wars book, lol!

On Friday afternoon we then did a role-play game, where some of us were Jews being made to work in a factory, and others were Nazi officials or police or shop-owners, who basically made the jews' lives difficult. I was a jew. Twas interesting. No matter how hard we worked it was near impossible to reach our quota, and therefore earn money. We were also punished for the littlest of things. And it was totally unfair. We were in a Munitions Factory, and were meant to do 20 cases of Munition a day, but one day I was given a different task to do, which meant at the end I didn't have 20 cases, and I therefore didn't get my pay. 2 people also got fed up and got themselves killed. I got sent to a camp and, strange as it sounds, was happy when I got brought out of the camp to work again, cos when you work you at least have a hope. Then, I wanted to destroy the factory. I had it all worked out, it was a munition's factory, if we destroyed it we'd make a big dent in the Nazi's plans, and it'd be easy to destroy cos it's got explosive things there. Yes, we'd have to die for it, but who cares, we'd hurt the Nazi's! I'd tried to convince my other Jews, but they were too cowardly. Twas interesting just the different emotions it brought out. And it was only a game!

On Saturday then we came to Oswiecim, the Polish name for the town where the Auschwitz concentration camp is. We're staying in a youth hostel here, which also has a german guy as a guide and helper, so that's handy. On Saturday night we watched a film based on a true story about a guy who was in a few camps. The film was crap, from a purely film point of view, it got on my nerves, but the story is insane, what the guy had to go through was awful!

On Sunday morning, thought, it got particularly mad. We met a lady who had been not only in Auschwitz, but also in another concentration camp. Halina Bierenbaum is her name, and you can look her up on t'internet, she's written books and been in documentary films and other things. That was truly insane to meet someone and here a first person account of everything that went on in the concentration camps. These are 3 things which are just insane:

1) "Auschwitz saved my life." She said that, because the other camp was even worse, but then she got sent to Auschwitz. Isn't that insane?

2) She was actually meant to be gassed. She was in the room with the other women, naked, looking at up at the supposed shower heads, knowing this was it. But then nothing happened, and a soldier came in and said they weren't working that day. There was some sort of problem and they could gas that day. She was then never selected again to be gassed.

3) She was shot, but still survived. When the Allies were nearing in on camps, a lot of the time the Nazi's tried to cover themselves, so to speak. They would burn all the documents. And sometimes, when the Allies were right on the doorstep they'd shoot any remaining prisoners as well. She was shot, twice, but both bullets missed her vital organs. She just said she felt the pain, but knew the Allies were coming, so would not give up now.

She was a living example of the power of hope. Her book is called "Hope dies last" and that's a fitting title for her life. And the joy she was able to experience again after surviving it all, it just made me so happy to see how she delighted in things.

We later did a tour of the town here, and went to the Jewish centre, which was built onto the synagogue which was built up after the war. The original had been torn down by the Nazi's in 1939. Before the war something like 55% of the population of Oswiecim was Jewish. Now there's not a single Jew living here.

We also bumped into a group of Americans who were staying at the hostel as well. Twas funny, I asked them where they were from, then said that I was from Ireland, and they were like, "Oh hey, Rob's from Ireland!" Then this guy with a full american accent starts speaking to me. Turns out his Grandparents are from Cork, but moved to America in the 50s. But fair play, they go home every summer, he usually spends 5 weeks in Cork during the summer.

So, hope you're all doing good! Just thought I'd let ya's know some of the things I've been experiencing here!

God bless you all!

The German-speaking Ginger Genius!