By Poppy Kenyon, Ben Payne, Francesca Borthwick and Charlie Thompson
The 27th January marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest and most prominent concentration camp . On the 27th January 1945, British and allied troops stormed the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau, freeing the thousands of Jews who had suffered in the camps at the hands of the Nazis. On the 12th November 2024, we had the privilege to represent our school in the Lessons From Auschwitz programme, which helps young people learn about the tragedy that was the holocaust.
We visited Poland, driving through Oświęcim, a Polish town later renamed ‘Auschwitz’ by the Nazis. Oświęcim was home to one of the largest Jewish communities, with 58% of the population identifying as Jewish by 1939. Unfortunately, these peaceful Jewish inhabitants were forced to leave their homes in 1939, when the Nazis invaded Poland. Driving through the town was particularly difficult, knowing that the vibrant Jewish community which had been living there since the early 16th century had been completely wiped out in mere months at the hands of the Nazis, and transformed into the Auschwitz Concentration camp in early 1940, the camp has since been converted into the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and museum.
We then arrived at Auschwitz 1, the slightly smaller camp of the Auschwitz compound, and home to the only surviving gas chamber. Immediately, the somber atmosphere and haunting silence acted as a constant reminder of the atrocities that had occurred here at the hands of the Nazis. Walking into Auschwitz 1, we saw the infamous gates which read ‘Arbeit macht frei’ (work sets you free), where inmates of Auschwitz 1 would walk through upon arrival to the camp. Auschwitz 1 was set up as a military base, with 22 brick barrack buildings. Despite popular belief, Auschwitz wasn’t originally meant for killing Jews, instead it was meant to house political prisoners, like many early camps. On June 14, 1940 the first of over 1 million people arrived at the Auschwitz complex. At the time of Jewish persecution and imprisonment, these barracks were home to roughly 16,000 prisoners. The camp was operated by SS soldiers, with the head of the camp being Rudolf Höss, who was living in an ordinary house with his family, surrounded by barbed wire. Due to the fear of an uprising by either the Poles or the prisoners, the entire area around Auschwitz 1 was turned into an 'Interessengebiet’ or ‘Zone of Special Interest,' forbidding anyone not part of the SS from living there. The prisoners at Auschwitz 1 were tasked with dismantling the houses, after the declaration of the Interessengebiet, the camp was chosen for a site of an extermination camp in 1941.
After allied liberation, these barracks had been transformed to display artefacts belonging to the thousands of Jews who had lived in the Auschwitz 1 camp. Rooms contained things such as suitcases, glasses, prosthetics and even pots, pans and cups. It was completely incomprehensible, knowing that everything we were seeing in these glass cases had belonged to individuals who had suffered tragically during Nazi occupation. One thing that particularly stood out to all of us was seeing the thousands of shoes that had belonged to children who had also unfortunately been sent to the concentration camps. Another moment that always stands out to us was having the opportunity to visit the book of names. This was essentially a very large book containing the names of 4.2 million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. The writing was so small that it was difficult to comprehend the deaths of so many people, even harder to remember that nearly 2 million are not included in this list, purely because there was no one left to remember those who had died, as entire families had been wiped out by the Nazis.
After visiting Auschwitz 1, we headed to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious and largest of the concentration camps in Poland. The sheer size of the camp was immense, and from the infamous gates, known as the ‘gates of death’, we couldn’t see the edges of the camp due to the size of it. While at the camp, we went into a few of the buildings that the male inmates would have lived in, they were dark and cold buildings, filled with poorly constructed bunk beds which would fit around three people per bed. There were some signs of central heating, however our guide told us that this was mainly fitted for propaganda purposes, and barely worked. The conditions that the Jews in Birkenau were living in were degrading and inhumane, the lavatories were simply long rows of benches with holes, meaning disease would spread rapidly. After having a look at the places that Jewish inmates would sleep, we walked down the railway towards the gas chambers(known as ‘the Heaven Street’) that are now no longer standing after the Nazis demolished the chambers in 1943, in an attempt to destroy all evidence of a crime. By the time of the Wannsee conference in 1942, the construction of Auschwitz-Birkenau was well on the way, along with the construction of crematoria 2,3,4 and 5 (1 was at Auschwitz 1), these 4 buildings were the main source of death at Auschwitz-Birkenau. From March of 1942, Jews were arriving through the ‘gate of death’ down ‘die Himmelsstraße’ (The Heaven Street) to the crematoria and to their deaths. On the platform of the ‘heaven street’, Doctors would select Jews who looked healthy enough to work, and separated the rest - those who were not selected for work were sent directly to the crematoria and murdered in the gas chambers. Generally, all children below the age of 16 and the elderly were sent to die, around 20% of all the people in transports were chosen for labour, meaning that by the time the camp was liberated in 1945, there was less than 5,000 people left, with all the others having been murdered in the gas chambers.
One of the most famous images surrounding the holocaust is the gate of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp known as the gate of death. While this is the most famous part of the Holocaust it is not where it started. After his rise to power in the early 1930’s, Hitler began his destruction of Jewish communities throughout Europe. Hitler, along with his collaborators were responsible for the murder of over 6 million Jews, and in some cases the complete eradication of families and communities. It is important to remember that jews had been living in many parts of Europe for thousands of years, living harmoniously with others.
Life before Nazi rule
Jewish life before the Holocaust was rich and diverse, varying significantly across different regions of Europe and beyond. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jews lived in a variety of social, economic, and cultural contexts. In Eastern Europe, particularly in the Pale of Settlement, Jews formed vibrant communities with their own religious practices, schools, and social organizations. Yiddish was widely spoken, and cultural movements such as Yiddish theatre and literature flourished. Many Jews were involved in trade and small-scale industries, while others worked as artisans or in agriculture. In Western Europe, Jews had begun to assimilate into broader society, gaining citizenship rights and participating in various professions. Cities like Paris and Berlin had significant Jewish populations that contributed to the arts, sciences, and politics. However, anti-Semitism persisted, manifesting in social exclusion and discriminatory laws, which created a complex relationship between Jews and their non-Jewish neighbours.
Jewish life was also marked by a strong sense of community and identity, with religious observance playing a central role. Synagogues served as places of worship, learning, and social gathering. Despite the challenges, Jewish communities maintained their traditions and cultural heritage, preparing for a future that, tragically, would be disrupted by the Holocaust.
Life during the Holocaust
Jewish life during the Holocaust was marked by unimaginable suffering, loss, and resilience. The Holocaust, which took place between 1941 and 1945, saw the systematic extermination of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators across Europe. As the Nazis implemented their policies of persecution, Jewish communities faced increasing restrictions. Laws were enacted to isolate Jews socially and economically, including the prohibition of employment in certain professions, the forced closure of Jewish businesses, and the requirement to wear yellow stars for identification.
In 1942, many Jews were forcibly relocated to ghettos, where they lived in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, often with about 10 people per room, where they faced starvation and disease. Children as young as twelve were forced to work in factories in dangerous conditions, working for free. One of the most famous, and certainly the largest of these ghettos, was the Warsaw ghetto housing, which at its height, had around 450,000 people.
In the ghettos, Jewish life continued in a limited form. Community leaders organized efforts to provide education, cultural activities, and religious observance, despite the dire circumstances.
Despite this, the ghettos were often raided, and many residents were deported to concentration and extermination camps, where they faced brutal conditions, forced labor, and mass murder. Some Jews attempted to resist the Nazis through uprisings in ghettos and camps, while others sought to escape or hide. Despite the overwhelming odds, acts of bravery and solidarity emerged, showcasing the resilience of the Jewish spirit. Ultimately, the Holocaust decimated Jewish communities across Europe, leaving a profound and lasting impact on the survivors and the world.
Life after the Holocaust
Jewish life after the holocaust was profoundly affected by the trauma and loss experienced during this dark period in history. The immediate aftermath saw a significant displacement of survivors, many of whom found themselves in displaced person camps across Europe, struggling to rebuild their lives in the wake of unimaginable loss. Families were often shattered, and entire communities had been wiped out. In the years following the holocaust, many survivors emigrated to countries such as the United States, Canada, and Israel, seeking safety and a fresh start. Jewish communities around the world began to rebuild, focusing on preserving their cultural heritage and memory of the holocaust through education of the events they lived through.
A striking moment in our experience with LFA is the follow-up seminar with Eva Clarke MEB. Eva's story is one of unimaginable survival and living evidence on how the holocaust has damaged modern day generations. Born in Mauthausen concentration camp on April 29, 1945, just days before its liberation, Eva shared her family’s story in which she and her mother were the only survivors. Her parents, Anka and her Bernd were deported to Terezin in 1941, where Anka became pregnant with Eva. This fact was personally impactful on me as it perfectly shows that those who were persecuted were completely ordinary, innocent people who still attempted to live their lives despite the horrors going on around them. Eva shared the love that her parents had for each other as her mother followed her father to Auschwitz, despite not knowing what would happen to them. Tragically, her parents were separated and her father died without ever knowing that Anka was pregnant.
After months of suffering and a harrowing three-week train journey where she was to be transferred to Mauthausen concentration camp, Anka gave birth to Eva in the open in the aftermath of the camp's liberation. Despite only weighing 35 kg while being 9 months pregnant, Anka had done the impossible and brought Eva into the world. Personally, this was the most impactful moment of my journey with LFA as the fact that Eva was able to share her story with us today proved that the hatred of the Nazis did not win and current anti-semitism will never succeed.
Ankha lived another 72 years, sharing with others her story and proving to the world that the Nazis had failed. Eva included photos of Anka, showing us that she was more than just her experience with the Holocaust, more than just a figure. Eva's story is a testament to resilience, love, and the will to survive against all odds.
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