Friday began with breakfast
including scrambled eggs for Suzanne
before we said good-bye (and actually hello and good bye in my case) to Ben Ravid who is an expert on the Venice ghetto and had joined the group there and then continued on to Poland on his own. We also saw Ben's wife but I forget her name.
We went off on a walking tour through town starting at the place where the students take their Polish lessons
and then capturing views of the Wawel Castle
as Suzanne posed with Mikhail, our guide.
After this church (of which there are many famous ones in Krakow)
Mikhail pointed out these symbols which were used instead of street addresses in early Krakow
so that e.g. Ara would be described as being at the elephant.
After one more animal address,
we saw replicas of the stained glass windows that make St. Francis' Church so famous
and then we continued on to the main square and cloth hall
where we noticed the water pump
the 10th century church
the curious sculpture
and the tower
before heading to the Collegium Maius -- the oldest part of the Jagiellonskie University
and we observed from the outside
before making our way into the courtyard
where we admired the gutters
the architecture
and saw the face that tells if you've told a lie
and, if so, eats your hand which fortunately did not happen to Suzanne
as we went through the green door
to an amazing painting
and an impressive ceiling
as we looked ahead to the busts
and back to the famous professors who would perform when the clock struck 11 (we unfortunately were not around to see their performance)
and then made our way in and admired some famous attendees
including Copernicus
and as we passed through
we entered the cabinet room which is still used for gatherings
and saw this status of Kazmierz
as we moved
and saw a model of male anatomy (missing a few pieces)
as well as a pocket watch (for large pockets)
and we then saw a professor's quarters though they were designed in a different era when professors were celibate and lived a monk like existence,
we then made our way past portraits of some of the notables
to the globe of 1510 (or a replica thereof) which had North America at the south pole.
We were shown proof that Copernicus had attended the University though there is no record of him having graduated
and shown a copy of his original manuscript
and his tools
before being led into the faculty room
with the portraits of all the faculty on the wall
and amazing workmanship.
Next we saw a portrait of the most famous Pole who received his degree here (and an honorary degree to boot)
and made our way through this remarkable door
into the green room
with the impressive ceiling
and artwork
a player piano gifted by Chopin
and an impressive floor
before Suzanne and I posed with our tour guide
as did Mikhail
and we thanked the guard who had opened doors for us
before we ventured out again
and saw the administration building here the horrible meeting was held at which the faculty were led off to the death camp
and then made our way
past the historical markers
and the status
to the window where the pope looked out on the citizens when he visited his town
and we ran into Mitch and Alice as we made our way back
to the bus
to begin our journey through the pleasant countryside to a most unpleasant site.
Barry took much video
as I noted this road sign (whose meaning Google interprets ''second strong transition road'')
and missed
when first I tried to get the sign showing the way to Oswiecim, the Polish town by Auschwitz.
I changed my battery
for the anticipated Muzeum at Auschwitz
but first we stopped in the town
and made our way to the Jewish Museum
where we saw images
and read stories
before entering the room that was the sanctuary though none of the original pieces survived the Nazi occupation and though the town was 50% Jewish (7000 of 14,000), there are no Jews there now and so they can only raise a minyan when visitors come.
Next we stopped at a hotel where Catholics often stay when visiting Auschwitz. It is intended to establish a dialog among religions particularly Catholics and Jews given the demographics of Poland, then and now
and we ate soup without broth
and with
and had vegetables with fish (without for some)
and potatoes
before making our way to Auschwitz
and through the visitors center
past the Arbeit Macht Frei gate
and onto the actual grounds of the camp
|
where we first visited this building intended to give us the background
of where people came from to Auschwitz
and their numbers
along with some of the horrible rationale that was used to justify the place.
We watched people arrive
saw this memorial
and read some of the history
and saw the Jews leaving various transit camps and ghettos
|
and then observed their arrival where it was decided if they would live under horrible conditions of be killed within 20 minutes
as we revisited the state borders at the time
watched families arrive
and heard the tale people were told on arrival to get them into the gas chambers
and observed a model of an actual crematorium.
These were the canisters that he;d the poisonous gas
this was the scale of the operation
and these were individual pellets that killed.
Personal affects were gathered as were these eye glasses
these tallises
these prosthetics
these pots and pans (since people thought they were being relocated)
the luggage they brought
toys for the children
and shoes
as the rain fell outside and the day was dark as was appropriate for our tour.
Next we were shown barracks that housed up to 1000 people
with photos of those interred until the cost of photography became too great and so numbers were tattooed on arms to track prisoners
and initial sleeping conditions which was hay on floors
with this row of sinks which could be used for few minutes per day per person
and this describes
the later (more improved) sleeping arrangements.
Needless to say the living conditions were horrible
as were these structures onto which prisoners crowded.
Next we made our way
and saw the guards' box
where the SS officer in charge would stand if it was raining and there were escapees and so the prisoners had to stand outside for as long as 21 hours until the escapees returned (or were killed)
and we saw the gallows
where those involved in escapes (including this group) were hung
and we made our way past the barbed wire fences
to the place where the first commandant was hung after the war.
Next we made our way into the actual gas chambers. At this spot you removed your clothes.
and went into what you thought was a shower room
but many were killed there and must be respected
for a guard dropped pellets through holes like this in the roof which killed everyone in the room
and then the bodies were placed in ovens such as these to be reduced to ashes which were used to fertilize the soil.
We walked away from the train tracks at Auschwitz 1
and went to Auschwitz 2 -- Birkenau which was designed to kill many more people
as the grounds were enormous
and more primitive
as you can see from the beds on which people slept
in a massive room that had previously been a barn
which housed 52 horses and now was housing 400 prisoners.
Next we saw the bathroom facilities
where the toilet were unsanitary, not private and of use for very limited time.
Finally we climbed up into the tower so that we could see just how massive the camp was.
|
and then I noted the barbed wire keeping prisoners in
and that this has been named a world heritage site so that all will know what happened here.
After a few more photos from outside noting the vastness
we headed back to Krakow where I said good bye (though this would happen again) to Barry and his wife
and we got some food for a snack before dinner.
Then we went out to dinner and had borscht
and hummus (along with pierogies)
and the borscht was too pretty to not record.
|
including scrambled eggs for Suzanne
before we said good-bye (and actually hello and good bye in my case) to Ben Ravid who is an expert on the Venice ghetto and had joined the group there and then continued on to Poland on his own. We also saw Ben's wife but I forget her name.
We went off on a walking tour through town starting at the place where the students take their Polish lessons
and then capturing views of the Wawel Castle
as Suzanne posed with Mikhail, our guide.
After this church (of which there are many famous ones in Krakow)
Mikhail pointed out these symbols which were used instead of street addresses in early Krakow
so that e.g. Ara would be described as being at the elephant.
After one more animal address,
we saw replicas of the stained glass windows that make St. Francis' Church so famous
and then we continued on to the main square and cloth hall
where we noticed the water pump
the 10th century church
the curious sculpture
and the tower
before heading to the Collegium Maius -- the oldest part of the Jagiellonskie University
and we observed from the outside
before making our way into the courtyard
where we admired the gutters
the architecture
and saw the face that tells if you've told a lie
and, if so, eats your hand which fortunately did not happen to Suzanne
as we went through the green door
to an amazing painting
and an impressive ceiling
as we looked ahead to the busts
and back to the famous professors who would perform when the clock struck 11 (we unfortunately were not around to see their performance)
and then made our way in and admired some famous attendees
including Copernicus
and as we passed through
we entered the cabinet room which is still used for gatherings
and saw this status of Kazmierz
as we moved
and saw a model of male anatomy (missing a few pieces)
as well as a pocket watch (for large pockets)
and we then saw a professor's quarters though they were designed in a different era when professors were celibate and lived a monk like existence,
we then made our way past portraits of some of the notables
to the globe of 1510 (or a replica thereof) which had North America at the south pole.
We were shown proof that Copernicus had attended the University though there is no record of him having graduated
and shown a copy of his original manuscript
and his tools
before being led into the faculty room
with the portraits of all the faculty on the wall
and amazing workmanship.
Next we saw a portrait of the most famous Pole who received his degree here (and an honorary degree to boot)
and made our way through this remarkable door
into the green room
with the impressive ceiling
and artwork
a player piano gifted by Chopin
and an impressive floor
before Suzanne and I posed with our tour guide
as did Mikhail
and we thanked the guard who had opened doors for us
before we ventured out again
and saw the administration building here the horrible meeting was held at which the faculty were led off to the death camp
and then made our way
past the historical markers
and the status
to the window where the pope looked out on the citizens when he visited his town
and we ran into Mitch and Alice as we made our way back
to the bus
to begin our journey through the pleasant countryside to a most unpleasant site.
Barry took much video
as I noted this road sign (whose meaning Google interprets ''second strong transition road'')
and missed
when first I tried to get the sign showing the way to Oswiecim, the Polish town by Auschwitz.
I changed my battery
for the anticipated Muzeum at Auschwitz
but first we stopped in the town
and made our way to the Jewish Museum
where we saw images
and read stories
before entering the room that was the sanctuary though none of the original pieces survived the Nazi occupation and though the town was 50% Jewish (7000 of 14,000), there are no Jews there now and so they can only raise a minyan when visitors come.
