Krakow and the Bull...(not really)

Last weekend went to Krakow, Poland and saw four things worth mentioning: Auschwitz  Birkenau, Schindler's Factory Museum, and the Salt Mines. It was an incredible weekend despite some inefficient use of our time because of a wonderful man named Janez...

I wrote this blog and then came back to the top to write this paragraph. I found it incredibly difficult to write about some of these experiences. I simply don't want to write about everything that I saw and felt. I don't think we should forget about these events in any way, but it is impossible for me to communicate the emotions I felt by writing here. It may be possible to explain in person the magnitude of these events... but I am not a skilled enough writer to do it through this blog.

So, shall we begin?

This rose was on a replica train car inside of the Birkenau camp... it is the most beautiful rose I've ever seen, especially within the context that it was seen.

This is Birkenau. It is another, less known, concentration camp in Poland. This road lead the prisoners to their execution if the doctor ordered them "left" when they got off the train after arriving to Birkenau.

Here are some barracks that the prisoners were housed in at Birkenau.

The railroad tracks inside of Birkenau. These tracks brought the prisoners in from all across Europe.

This is the outside of the gas chambers at Auschwitz where 90% of the holocaust victims were killed.

And the inside...

The wall where many people were killed by firing squad in Auschwitz.

This was one of the most shocking things about visiting Auschwitz... This is a room filled with hair. The room was about 150x30 feet and the hair was piled higher than my head. It was estimated at about 7 tons and roughly 10% of the total hair removed from prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Outside of the fences at Auschwitz...

The entrance to the barracks grounds at Auschwitz.

This is the outside of the Schindler Factory Museum. I believe, but am not certain, that this building was the actual location of Schindler's factory.

This is the highlight of the Salt Mines. This is the church that they built inside of the mine. The mines were so dangerous that they built several chapels within the mines and the miners would regularly pray and attend mass in the chapels.

It was really foggy most of the trip and especially at night. It added to the experience, but it made seeing the city difficult.