The irony that the sign was made by the prisoners and placed outside concentration camps, as if to taunt them. This phrase seems to have some sort of strange truth wrapped around it. Over-exhaustion is fatal yet, unfortunately and tragically, death is really their only chance at freedom.


When you look closely though, you might notice that the B in Arbeit is upside down — a gesture of silent resilience, an oxymoronic sign of oppressed assertion, a defiant “fuck you” to to the Nazis.


I couldn't stop thinking about it for days to come. How many teenagers of our generation can honestly say that they know about WW2? Sure, we know the basic facts, but do we understand the cruelty that happened in the concentration camps? The pain and humiliation suffered by the generations before us, their will to survive and how they fought for freedom.

Holocaust deniers worry me to no end. Aren't the pictures and videos enough to prove that these atrocious truly happened? None of those trialled after the war ever denied that the holocaust happened — their defence were that they weren't aware, they were following orders etc.

Please. Remember these lessons. If we don't learn from history, we are bound to repeat it.





Wrote the above about Auschwitz in 2015, and finally visited the historical site in 2018.

Unfortunately, after three years, my German remains abysmal at best due to the lack of practice, highly contributed by my everlasting need to procrastinate. Nun ja.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum

Address

Więźniów Oświęcimia 20, 32-603 Oświęcim, Poland

Opening Hours

8am to 3pm
(Best to book the earliest timing as there will be less people and tour groups)

Tickets

Free for all. Tickets to be booked online.