Holocaust memorial day

[pureclaret]

I am sure others have watched this today . To see what they went through should never be forgotten. And to see people who were there giving there story's , God bless them I will remember them.

[ElectroClaret]

Never been to Auschwitz myself, but I think a few have posted on here that they've been there and how moving
and poignant it is.

[Herts Clarets]

I visited both the Auschwitz camps a couple of years ago. It is an eerie experience, as whilst the deeds carried out by the Nazis are well documented, to actually be stood in the place where atrocities were carried out, to see the mountains of luggage, spectacles, shoes and human hair and to realise this is merely a small fraction, to stand in front of the wall where prisoners were routinely shot really brings home the evil and the scale of the killings. The scale of Birkenau, the site where the train line enters with the selection ramp has to be seen for the sheer scale to be recognised. As far as the eye can see are derelict huts used to hold the thousands of prisoners selected for work. There are remains of gas chambers and crematoria on this site, however much of it was destroyed by the retreating Germans to try to cover up the truth of the site. Those who were deemed uncapable of work, so children, women, elderly, disabled were sent straight to the gas chambers and executed on arrival. It could be argued they were the more fortunate group, as death came swiftly. Those selected to work were out in all weathers in prison uniform, and fed a diet of thin soup. If they returned from workign in the fields in wet clothing, they slept in it. If they took if off to dry out it would be stolen and they would still be forced to work the fields with no clothing.

This was a killing factory and one of the limiting factors that prevented the Germans killing more was they couldn't dispose of the bodies quickly enough and was looked upon as one would a production line in a factory - how to maximise throughput, in this case how can we kill more prisoners.

I would recommend everyone visits once in their lifetime and ask themselves what it takes to bring humans to inflict such cruelty and torture on others purely due to their religious beliefs (not all killed were Jewish but the vast majority were). It is a moving and sobering place to visit.

[ClaretTony]

I would recommend everyone visits once in their lifetime and ask themselves what it takes to bring humans to inflict such cruelty and torture on others purely due to their religious beliefs (not all killed were Jewish but the vast majority were). It is a moving and sobering place to visit.

I have told myself countless times that I need to visit - hopefully one day I will.

On this subject, if anyone watched the Tattooist of Auschwitz on Sky recently, there is a programme tonight on Sky History at 9 about the tattooists son and coming to terms with what his mum and dad went through.

[pureclaret]

Cheers Tony i too watched the sky Tattooist on SKY and did see the other week that this was to be on , id forgotten ill put on my play list to watch.

[helmclaret]

I have told myself countless times that I need to visit - hopefully one day I will.

On this subject, if anyone watched the Tattooist of Auschwitz on Sky recently, there is a programme tonight on Sky History at 9 about the tattooists son and coming to terms with what his mum and dad went through.

Get it booked CT. Krakow is a fantastic city and perfect for a 2-3 night stay. Getting around is easy whether you use public transport or taxis. People very welcoming. Do Auschwitz early on the trip and then enjoy Krakow and visit the saltmines.

[Silkyskills1]

We visited Auschwitz and Birkenau a couple of years ago. The camps cover a huge area and as already alluded to the sight of discarded suitcases, spectacles and shoes belonging to those sent there was overwhelming. I was going to mention living conditions then realised there weren't any. It was a desperate fight for survival; day after day, month after month of unbelievable hostility and hatred for fellow humans. We walked the train track into Birkenau trying to imagine what those poor people faced but again that was somewhat futile as horror like that could never just be imagined.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Family now home from school and amazingly the memorial day wasn’t mentioned, which I’m trying hard not to get incensed about. Seems like atrocities concerning Jewish people get less traction than other (also important) memorials.

[Paul Waine]

I've not visited Auschwitz, I don't think I ever will. I was moved when I visited the Anne Frank museum in Amsterdam. I was moved when I visited the Jewish cemetery in Prague in 1990s - and saw the wall with the 10s of thousands of names of those from Prague would died in the Holocaust. I was moved when I visited the Jewish ghetto in Venice 20 years ago. I was moved when I visited Warsaw 10 years ago, including the Jewish ghetto, the Polish uprising museum - when the Soviet armies stood back a few miles away while the uprising was crushed - and the Holocaust rail wagons memorial.

We should never forget.

[Loyalclaret]

I've just returned from Kraków this afternoon for the game.

Previously visited Auschwitz, the scale of it is difficult to comprehend. It was closed this weekend for the anniversary, so we visited Schindler's museum. Which details more about the lives of the Jewish (and Poles) population before, during and after the occupation, than Schindler's efforts.

Found Krakow a great city to visit, very easy to get around and Bolt is cheap if you need transport.

[ChrisG]

I went to Sachsenhausen camp near Berlin back in the early 90s as a kid, and it had a profound impact even at a young age.

The Bundesliga games all had a memorial this weekend beforehand.

[evensteadiereddie]

I was there ten days ago and, my goodness, it is a grim but essential experience.
I found the visit to Schindler's factory also quite harrowing, the mock ups of rooms, streets and so on in showing the insanity of the ghetto and the subsequent cleansing really brought home the horror.
Interesting and rather ironic to watch the whole of the ceremony today alongside footage of hundreds of thousands of refugees heading back to their flattened houses in Gaza.
I'm not making a political point, I'm doubting the feasibility of "It must never happen again" .

[Billyblah]

I've never visited any of the former Nazi extermination camps but as reflected elsewhere above, the Ann Frank house in Amsterdam is sobering enough.
I would tend to agree with evensteadiereddie, in that I am struggling to understand how the events in Gaza over the last fifteen months can be seen as anything different.

[AmbleClaret]

When I grew up in Clitheroe, our next door neighbour was known as Polish George. As I got older, I found out he'd been a prisoner in Auschwitz, occasionally I would glimpse the number tattooed on his arm . It then transpired that further along the road was a German ex POW,who'd emigrated post-war from America,he'd been captured in 1940 as a member of Hitler youth in Italy.. So,there within a few houses of each other were 2 people from polar opposites of a war neither probably wanted to be involved in,2 very young men at the time.