Today is the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. In fact, this January 27 marks seventy years since the Soviet army entered the camp and freed thousands of suffering prisoners. What can I possibly say about a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps that can convey the depth of sadness and disbelief that one feels here? We were silent for almost this whole visit one summer day, and our lack of words then is reflected in my post today.
I’ll let my photos and these brief words from the camp’s memorial suffice.
“Forever let this place be
a cry of despair
and a warning to humanity,
where the Nazis murdered
about one and a half
million
men, women, and children,
mainly Jews
from various countries
of Europe”
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Auschwitz-Birkenau
1940-1945
One Foot Out the Door 