The Camp

As a young kid I visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. I was maybe nine or ten years old at the time. I do not remember much from that experience. (I think that we only saw part of the camp.) All I remember is the barbed wire, the barracks, which we entered, and the gas chamber. Other than that I have no recollection of the camp. I only remember my emotions or feelings at the time. The emotions I remember are sadness and shock. It was an emotional experience, that I do not regret I experienced. The Polish people are very sensitive about their history. It is all probably because we went from a huge monarchy and then got wiped off the map for 132 years. And right as we were allowed our nation back World War II began.
Hitler's strategy was brilliant, regardless of who he was. He had a plan and the followed it, Nazi Germany pushed down the eastern front like a well oiled machine. Hitler was not only after the Jews, he was after all minorities. These included Jews, Gypsies, and Slavs.
My great grandpa was caught in the street and taken to a forced work camp, during World War II. He managed to escape the work camp. However, if he had not done that he would have been most likely sent to a concentration camp. This is just an example, of how Hitler wanted to exterminate eastern Europe and make it German.
On this trip to Austria we visited the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. I was interested in going and seeing how different I will react and remember this experience, now that I'm older and more mature. Riding up to Mauthausen I was stunned how close it was to the village of Mauthausen. For one, the camp is on top of a hill and is thus, visible to the surrounding villages and towns. Secondly, the smell of thew burning bodies must have been terrible. It just surprised me how visible it was and no one did anything. However, we all know that doing anything against the Nazi regime would mean immediate death.
The camp itself reminded me of a fortress. My feeling were later confirmed by our tour guide Daniel who told us that the camps were constructed to show power. They were telling the common people that Nazi Germany has the power and grip over them.Nazi Germany had a psychological grip on their sovereigns. Hitler used propaganda methods into swaying public opinion that what he wanted, was the best solution for everyone.
What I think most people in out group did not realize was the fact that Hitler was not only after the Jews. The memorial plate that Daniel showed us, shocked us all. The top two on the list of people who died in Mauthausen were Russian soldiers and Polish people. (For Russians the number was about 32 thousand and for Polish it was 30 thousand). For me personally, this chart was what made me react emotionally to being in the camp. Even though I already knew these figures from books, history classes, and conversations with my family members. I was surprised that I got some emotional when seeing these numbers that I was already aware of.
My family survived World War II, for the most part. On my grandmas side, out of her mother's 9 siblings only about 3 survived the war. Some died before the war, but the rest died during the war, and one disapeared without a trace. My greatgrandpa who lived in Warsaw, was caught by the Germans on the street and was taken to a labor camp. He managed to escape the campt. However, if he had not done so he would have been transported to Auschwitz. My great uncle and his wife, who are both still alive, fought in the Warsaw uprising. My family is not Jewish, but I know from family stories that they were just as scared of the Germans as anyone, because Hitler wanted to wipe out the entire Polish population.
The history of World War II is still very much alive in Polish identity. Every family has someone who died during the war. Also, the memory of what happened during the war and the Holocaust is kept alive. And it is done out of a mix of respect, rememberance, national pride, etc.
Maybe this is why the trip to Mauthausen ended up beeing such an emotional journey for me. Also, out of respect I did not take any photos. I know I will remember it for the rest of my life. I also think that it is important to go and see places like Mauthausen. However, only when one is mature and educated enough to handle it. 

German word: die Kindheit
English: childhood
Sentence: In meiner Kindheit mochte ich mit Puppen spielen.