It made me wonder if I would still be a faithful Christrian if I was a prisoner in this camp. I honestly do not think my faith is strong enough. I would like to think it is but I have never had anything to truly test me. I am extremley blessed and I believe in God because I see evidence of His work all around me. What if I didn't see it though? What if I didn't feel His presence at all. People in this camp lost all hope. They were fed no more than five spoonfuls of "soup" every three days, they were hit and worked to the bone, literally. How could they see the face of God? There was some grafitti left that translated to this: "If there is a God, he will have to beg my forgiveness" that really struck me hard. I hope that someday I can aquire a faith strong enough to get through the tough times, even though I know I will never have to suffer as they did. It was a really difficult experience but I learned so much, my only prayer is that this will never happen again.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Mauthausen Concentration Camp
Oh my goodness, this was one of the most difficult experiences. We saw the place where hundreds and thousands of people were beaten, tortured and killed for no apparent reason. This camp was the last to be liberated in Europe by American soldiers in 1945. the first picture shows the entrance and main courtyard of the camp where hundreds of people were packed in like sardines. The second picture shows a crematorium, when the SS started using these they would burn one body at a time. After some time they began to have a surplus of dead skeletal people, so they would pile at least 10 corpses in each of these with no remorse.
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I got goosebumps just looking at the title to your post. I remember EXACTLY how I felt walking through Mauthausen. Did you walk the stairs of death?
When I was student teaching at the high school level, the unit I had to teach was on the Holocaust. I brought in all of the pictures that I had taken at Mauthausen and I actually had students crying because of the details and stories that go along with the pictures.
As depressing as it is, I am so thankful for the experience of walking through Mauthausen because I think it gives those of us who do a deeper appreciation for the history that most only get to "hear" about.
I love you!!!
Oh, Brooke. I am so grateful that you have had this experience. We have seen Dachau, a concentration camp in Germany. It touched us deeply. To see, feel, hear, smell and taste the history - right where it happened - is so important.
May this part of history never repeat itself.
I love you, Baby.
yes i did walk the stairs, i couldnt believe this happened less than 100 years ago. its sickening. i hope i can use this expirience to teach as well.
and yet it is still happening, in darfur and afganistan and with all the invisible children....
when you were in the gas chambers did you smell it? i remember most vividly the smell of death, i got to a point where i actually was having trouble taking good deep breaths and i had to leave. anne franks friend who lived in her house with her died in that concentration camp.
I had the same experience when I went to Dachau last April. Your grandfather lived in Oslo, Norway during the occupation and saw first hand how the Nazis treated people.
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