Inside Auschwitz: Birkenau

Birkenau, also known as Auschwitz-Birkenau or Auschwitz II, was one of several concentration camps in Europe where Jews were sent via trains to be killed or forced into hard labor. Despite all that happened here, there was stillness here--both peaceful and eerie.

The only buildings that remain at the site of the former concentration camp were those that housed prisoners who were fortunate to be selected fit for work. The majority went straight to the gas chambers and
at the end of the tracks were the remnants of the crematorium where several million people were killed. There were many small candles scattered throughout the memorial to honor those that perished here. Despite the fact that the land here was witness to many acts of brutality, the peacefulness and calmness of the place also stood as a testament to those that were lost. While time will never completely heal the scars left by the Holocaust, the natural beauty of the landscape does help--it honors and remembers the dead. This is what this photo represents to me. The cobblestones represent harshness and brutality; the leaf represents life.

Visiting this place was a somber and humbling experience and I am thankful for the opportunity to have had this experience and it is my hope that I was able to share a glimpse of what I felt through my words and select photos.
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