AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU REPORT
It was n the 28th of November that the Portuguese, Polish, French and German members of the Jewish Histories in Europe visited Auschwitz, most of us for the first time. And what an impact it had in all of us to visit such a significant memorial site for the Jewish communities all over the world and such a central place for the European History due to the impact of the Second World War. Being in Auschwitz was a truly life lesson indeed. One of the most impressive
parts
of
our
experience
in
Auschwitz-Birkenau
is
undoubtedly related to the «humanization» exercise of what was, indeed, the Holocaust. In fact, the visit to the camps, and particularly, the exhibition rooms in Auschwitz buildings, changed radically our perspective about the referred phenomenon. The place brought us to one of the most appalling moments in history, showing us that the human kind is able of doing horrible things, constantly reminding us that nothing is for granted. What were, before this visit, mere facts described in books and other documents were «translated» into faces, paths of life and real feelings. We were shown rooms full of evidences of Auschwitz prisoners’’ existence, namely, suitcases, glasses, hairbrushes and other personal belongings. Even parts of their hair were exhibited. It is overwhelming just thinking about all that human hair displayed at the museum, the baby clothes and the photographs of all the human despair. This was the moment when Holocaust became more than History. In our minds, it became an endless number of histories, personal testimonies of the painful and cruel plan applied there. We «met» those prisoners, we read their names and we learnt how actual and close to us their painful experience really is. What is intriguing is the possibility for people to remain positive when facing such hideous events. How is it even conceivable for our society to utterly move on when realizing that it
could have happened or it can still happen to each one of us? How is forgiveness acceptable in these circumstances? Anne Frank once wrote: “I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.” What a magnificent point of view! Those who are sure of God’s existence, when faced with such a place must think that He wasn’t there. Auschwitz is something that we can't explain. We can write and we can even show all the pictures that we took. And if for me that place is almost Hell, what can we think about those who tried to survive there. It’s almost impossible to believe in it. Just silence and reflection can show something about it. Nonetheless, no one can imagine what it is before going there and for that opportunity we are grateful.
Auschwitz mustn’t be ignored; it has to be remembered at all times.
