* versiunea in limba romana mai jos

Monday, January 27, this year, marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Of the two camps, Birkenau impresses you the most (in fact you are shocked). At first look, Auschwitz does not show how the vast majority of people imagine a concentration camp. To be honest, if you ignore the barbed wire fences and only look at the buildings, trees and grass, you can even think of a hospital or sanatorium, a rest and treatment resort, in a completely opposite direction! Since 1945, the memorial has become a highly-visited historical site, being a part of history of the world. Reservations can be made free on the official website http://auschwitz.org/en/, and between the two camps there are free shuttle bus.

But understanding the horrible things that happened here does not come without distress…

There is a lot to see and understand here … But, being a place with a special emotional load, it makes the visit to live it all in its own way, to be a more subjective experience than many others. And that makes it very difficult to describe in words. So I will sum up what I felt in a certain place in both camps: the crematoriums.

In the Auschwitz camp, the crematorium is a semi-enclosed building, which, from the outside, does not stand out. It’s really very hard to find it. The only thing that can confirm that it is about the place where the cycle of the horrors spent here is practically ending is the chimney… Once you step inside, however … The first thing I remember is that I was amazed by the size of the rooms. : much smaller than I imagined. But they were very well preserved, down to the smallest details: zyklon b pipes, oven doors, strollers and rails.

In rest …. quiet. A pressing silence. I felt a very hard feeling to describe, something like a push, an almost physical pressure. And pain. Lots of pain and suffering, without them being mine directly. Maybe that was the pressure what I was feeling: the pain and suffering of those who found their terrible end here…

In Birkenau, however, in their attempt to destroy the evidence, the Nazis began to blow up the crematorium. So here you can see only ruins and burnt bricks. You can see that … but I swear I smelled burning! I just thought it was just in my mind, so I didn’t tell anyone. That is until my wife asked me … if I smell burnt. The guide argues that although physically, scientifically speaking is impossible, he has heard many people saying the same thing: “I smell burning!”

O bucata de istorie. Dureroasa. Dar istorie.

Ziua de luni 27 ianuarie, anul acesta, a marcat 75 de ani de la eliberarea lagarului de concentrare Auschwitz-Birkenau. Dintre cele doua lagare, Birkenau te impresioneaza cel mai mult (de fapt te socheaza). La prima vedere Auschwitz nu arata cum isi imagineaza marea majoritate a oamenilor un lagar de concentrare. Ca sa fiu sincer, daca faci abstractie de gardurile din sarma ghimpata, si privesti doar cladirile, pomii si iarba, poti chiar sa te gandesti mai degraba spre un spital sau sanatoriu, o statiune balneara, deci intr-o directie total opusa! Din 1945 memorialul a devenit un loc istoric foarte vizitat. Rezervari se pot face gratuit pe site-ul official http://auschwitz.org/en/ iar intre cele doua lagare exista autobuze pentru transfer gratuit.

Dar intelegerea lucrurilor oribile care s-au intamplat aici nu vine fara o intristare profunda…

Sunt multe de vazut si de inteles aici… Dar, fiind vorba de un loc cu o incarcatura emotionala deosebita, face ca vizita sa o traim fiecare in felul sau, sa fie o experienta mai subiectiva decat multe altele. Si asta face sa fie foarte greu de descris in cuvinte. Asa ca o sa ma rezum la ce am simtit intr-un anume loc in ambele lagare: crematoriile.

In lagarul de la Auschwitz, crematoriul este o cladire semiingropata, care, din exterior, nu iese cu nimic in evidenta. Este chiar foarte greu de gasit. Singurul lucru care iti poate confirma ca este vorba de locul in care practic lua sfarsit ciclul ororilor petrecute aici este cosul… Odata ce patrunzi in interior insa… Primul lucru pe care mi-l amintesc este ca am ramas uimit de dimensiunea camerelor: mult mai mici decat imi imaginam. Erau insa foarte bine conservate, pana la cele mai mici detalii: tevile pentru zyklon b, usile cuptoarelor, carucioarele si sinele acestora. In rest…. liniste. O liniste apasatoare. Am simtit un sentiment foarte greu de descris, ceva ca o apasare, o presiune aproape fizica. Si durere. Multa durere si suferinta, fara insa ca acestea sa fie ale mele in mod direct. Poate exact asta era apasarea pe care o simteam: durerea si suferinta celor care si-au gasit groaznicul sfarsit aici..

La Birkenau insa, in incercarea lor de a distruge dovezile, nazistii au apucat sa arunce in aer crematoriul. Asa ca aici nu mai poti vedea decat niste ruine si caramizi arse. Asta poti vedea… dar jur ca am simtit miros de ars! Doar ca m-am gandit ca e doar in mintea mea, asa ca nu am spus nimanui. Asta pana cand sotia m-a intrebat … daca simt miros de ars. Ghidul sustine ca, desi fizic, stiintific vorbind este imposibil, a auzit foarte multi oameni spunand acelasi lucru: “simt miros de ars!”