My trips to the Krakow ghetto and to the Schindler’s Museum was really satisfying. I’ve learnt many interesting facts about Jewish life in Poland during the war. It is amazing how they were struggling to live normal life among all of the cruelty and injustice. However, the most important place to visit was still on the list. It was the former Auschwitz tour – I couldn’t wait. 

Long awaited trip to hell

If you visit Krakow, you simply have to go on Auschwitz tour. Opened in 1940, was the largest of the Nazi concentration camp. It evolved into a network of camps around Poland. It consists of three parts (Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau and subcamps) and all together takes almost 200 ha. The whole Auschwitz tour took me around 5 hours and I have to admit, that I was exhausted. Physically and mentally as well. I didn’t realize that the area would be so huge and so terryfiyng. However, I do recommend to go there to absolutely everyone. I booked my Auschwitz tour from Krakow with Krakow Direct and was fully satisfied with their service.  

Holocaust tolls

Jewish people and other perceived enemies of the Nazi state were exterminated there. Some of them immediately, some after months of exhausting work and humiliation. It is estimated that more than 1 million people, lost their lives in the camp. Death camps existed for the sole purpose of killing Jews and other “undesirables,” in what became known as the Holocaust. During the Auschwitz tour we I’ve visited the prisoner’s barracks and work places. Especially thrilling were the piles of glasses, suitcases and shoes of camp prisoners. Their authentic pictures on the walls impressed me a lot as well.  

Among prisoners, there were also polish political opposition, suspicious for regime people, homosexuals, those who helped prisoners and Gypsies. Extremely terrifying were the brutal experiences on Auschwitz inmates. Joseph Mengele became famous for his inhuman experiments on twins – if one died, he would kill the other immediately, just to see if their organism behaves the same. He was known as an “angel of death”.

Those Krakow tours, especially Auschwitz tour, showed me how much ideology is able to do cause pain and pointless murders. In fact, thousands of people were killed just because they had different religion or nationality. I hope, that many people will have a chance to go on Auschwitz tour to realize how it really looked like. What was happening during occupation. What war is doing to the people.