We went to the Schindler Factory museum, which is located in the former administrative building of the Schindler factory.
Entrance into the Oskar Schindler Factory Museum
We entered through the main entrance and began walking through the museum. The exhibit began about the initial invasion of Poland by the Germans.
Map of the invasion forces progress of Germany into Poland
As we went through the museum there was more information about Krakow and how the occupation impacted the Polish and Jewish people.
Photo of the Nazi occupation in Krakow, Poland
The exhibit was more about the occupation of the Nazis in Krakow and how the people were treated. As we went through the exhibit we saw different exhibits about the life in Krakow and how the people were persecuted and forced into labour camps or worse.
The band forced to be worn by Jews in KrakowThe Nazis rename the square to Adolf Hitler PlatzOne of the many exhibits of WW2
We came across some of the exhibits of Oskar Schindler Factory.
Office desk from the Oskar Schindler FactoryPots and pans from Oskar Schindler Factory
The Schindler museum was interesting but also disappointing. There were very little information and exhibits directly concerning Oskar Schindler and the events that took place at the factory.
We took a tour of the former jewish Ghetto in Krakow, which was established by the Nazis during WW2. The tour began with a walk from the main square to the Jewish quarter which took us approximately 15 minutes. We cross the Wisla River on a modern foot bridge called “Father Bernatek Footbridge” which had some unique features. It is a twin design leaf-shaped, 130 meters long structure made for pedestrians and cyclists.
Shelley and Ray in front of the Father Bernatek Footbridge in Krakowhanging statues on the Father Bernatek Footbridge
We crossed over the bridge and then went into the former Jewish Ghetto. There were several buildings that has remained basically untouched since WW2.
Buildings in the former Jewish Ghetto of Krakow.
We went to the Jewish synagogue which was a pivotal location in the Ghetto. Nazi’s executed Jews in front of the Synagogue on a regular basis. It is hard to imagine the atrocities that occurred here.
Jewish Synagogue where Jews were routinely Executed by the Nazi’s IN the Krakow Jewish Ghetto.
A monument was erected in the front of the Synagogue to honour the Jews murdered by the Nazi’s.
Monument in front of the Jewish Synagogue in Krakow
We then walked through the streets of the former jewish ghetto and came across another monument. This monument was erected and remembered all the victims during the German occupation in the jewish ghetto.
Monument erected in the Jewish quarter of Krakow
The plaque on the monument was very moving. The thoughts of how many Jewish people were killed and prosecuted here is truly heartbreaking. The plaque reads “Place of Meditation upon the martyrdom of 65 thousand Polish citizens of Jewish nationality from cracow and its environs killed by the nazis during world war II”
We walked along a narrow roadway and came to a small alleyway. Down the alleyway was an area which was used as a scene in the movie from “Schindler’s list”
Area in the Jewish ghetto used in the movie Schindler’s listScene from the movie “Schindler’s list”
We walked up a cobble stone street called ulica Szeroka and along side the street is a large brick and stone wall.
A narrow cobble street called ulica Szeroka in the former Jewish ghetto
This wall separates the Jewish cemetery from the street. The wall is considered a “wailing wall”. During the war the cemetery was destroyed by the Nazis and apparently the tombstones were removed and used as paving stones in one of the labour camps.
The wailing wall separating the cemetery from the ulica Szeroka street
After the war the tombstones were brought back to the cemetery and some of them which were not identifiable were used in the wailing wall.
One of the tombstones used in the wailing wall in Krakow
On the same street was a bronze statue in memory of Jan Karski.
Bronze statue of Jan Karski in the Jewish quarter of Krakow. In 1942 he was selected to perform a secret mission to prime minister Władysław Sikorski in London. Karski was to contact Sikorski as well as various other Polish politicians and inform them about Nazi atrocities in occupied Poland. In order to gather evidence, Karski was twice smuggled by Jewish underground leaders into the Warsaw Ghetto for the purpose of directly observing what was happening to Polish Jews.
We walked through the former ghetto looking at the different areas. It was hard to imagine the horror that the Jewish people endured there. We eventually came to the ghetto heroes square. In the square are 33 memorial chairs. Each chair is made of cast iron and bronze.
Bronze chairs mounted throughout the area.
Each bronze chair represents 2000 murdered Jewish people from Krakow and the area.
Ray and Shelley in the ghetto heroes square.
We spend the afternoon walking through the former ghetto. It was an interesting and emotional time. We enjoyed the tour and learning the history of the Polish people.
We went to Benidorm and Polop on Sunday to explore the “Car Boot Sales” which is a traditional used goods sale. We started off early and enjoyed the drive to Polop which is located not far from Benidorm in the mountains.
View of the “Sleeping Lion” mountain near PolopBoot Sale in Polop
The people buy a space for five euros and they lay out their items for sale. There are four or five streets full of people selling every type of item imaginable.
view of part of the street in Polop
We walked along the main street looking at different items. They had some Spanish dolls for sale wearing the tradition Spanish dress.
Some dolls for sale in Polop
Some of the items were interesting and others were very common and considered junk by some people.
Used items on display and for sale in PolopShelley walking along the street in Polop
They had areas set up for food and drinks. There was even a bar area for people to have a cold beer and a truck selling roasted chickens.
Roasted chickens for sale on the street in Polop
We walked around for about an hour looking at the displayed items.
We found it interesting but did not buy anything.
We then headed to Benidorm where each Sunday they have a large sale of antiques and other used items. There was a permanent pavilions set up where people would sell antiques or other collectables. We walked through the different rows of items checking it out.
Shelley and Felipe looking at some of the items for sale in Benidorm
We came across a vender who was selling millitary items. There were some very interesting items for sale, including WWII books, photos uniforms, etc.
Military uniforms and WWII paraphernalia for sale in BenidormWWII books and photos for sale in Benidorm
We headed into the main enclosed pavilion and looked at the antiques. They had a large variety of antique furniture, paintings and other items which were quite interesting.
Some of the antiques on display in Benidormantiques on sale in Benidorm
It was an enjoyable day and very interesting looking at items from the European culture.
We went to the Birkenau death camp after seeing Auschwitz 1 concentration camp. It was also a very emotional and somber place for us.
Ray and Shelley at the main gate of Birkenau Death Camp
Another part of the Auschwitz concentration camp was the expansion of the camp to create the Birkenau death camp. The Nazis began erecting this camp in the fall of 1941 in a village of Brzezinski, three kilometers from the Auschwitz concentration camp. The Nazis expelled the villagers and destroyed their homes to build the Birkenau death camp. This camp was designed for the mass murder of prisoners most of which were Jews.
The gate to the Birkenau death camp.
There is a railway spur which went directly through the gate into the camp. Prisoners referred to the Birkenau gate as “The Gate of Death”.
Railway spurs in Birkenau Death camp where prisoners were unloaded.
Prisoners would exit the train cars and this is where the Nazi SS physicians carried out their selection of the jews. They determined which were for work, or sent for medical experiments and the remainder were sent immediately to the gas chambers. This included pregnant women and children.
We walked through the death camp looking at the train tracks and just couldn’t imagine the horror of what happened here. As we walked alongside the tracks, we came to a cattle car which was used to transport Jews and other prisoners here.
A cattle car used to transport prisoners to the death campRailway car used to transport Jews and other Prisoners to Birkenau Death Camp
At the rear of the train car was a small raised lookout which was used by a Nazi guard.
A train car used to transport prisoners to the death camp.
The size of the Birkenau death camp was much bigger than we expected. There were rows upon rows of chimneys and ruins from the prisoner barracks on one side of the main road.
The remains of prisoner barracks at Birkenau Death CampArea where prisoners where kept in wooden barracks
There were some wooden barracks that remained in part of the Birkenau death camp.
Prisoner barracks in Birkenau death camp.
We went into some of the existing prisoner barracks. The conditions were very harsh. It was hard to imagine the living conditions they had to endure.
Latrine used by the prisoners.Bunks for the prisoners, eight prisoners to a single bunk.
We walked long the main road towards the back of the camp. As we approached the rear of the camp we could see a monument and some building ruins.
Monument at rear of the Birkenau Death Camp.
There were plaques in different languages which read
“For ever 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”
The Nazis transported jews from many european countries to be murdered here in Birkenau.
Map showing the movement of Jews transported to Birkenau to be murdered.
After viewing the monument we went to an area with ruins at the far end of the camp. These ruins are all that is left of the gas chambers and crematorium used to kill approximately one and half million people, primarily Jews.
The entrance way which Jews and other prisoners would be lead to believe were showers.
They would walk down the long corridor to an area where they would disrobe and then enter a second room, which was disguised as a shower room. There they would be gassed to death and then moved to a crematorium room to be burned.
Remains of the gas chambers and crematorium at Birkenau death campRemains at Birkenau death campGas chamber and crematorium remains at Birkenau death camp.
The size of the ruins showed the magnitude of the horrors that occurred here. After pausing to reflect on the site we were looking at, we began our long walk back to the main gate of Birkenau.
There were flowers placed on the train tracks close to where the gas chambers were. When you look down the tracks you can barely see the main gate of Birkenau in the distance.
Train tracks that stop at the gas chamber and crematorium area of Birkenau death camp.
We walked slowly back to the main gate contemplating the horrors and atrocities that occurred here. A very emotional day for us, but it is one time in history that no one should ever forget.
We went to the Auschwitz 1 site which is synonymous with the horrors of genocide caused by the Nazis. The emotions and feelings of sadness go beyond words.
The main gate of the Auschwitz 1 concentration camp displays the inscription “Arbeit Macht frei” (work will make you free)
Inscription above the main gate of Auschwitz 1
Walking through the gate at Auschwitz was surreal, trying to imagine how it must have felt for the thousands of Jews and others who were sent here. We walked through the rows of brick buildings that were surrounded by double rows of electrified barbwire fences.
Double row of electrified barbwire fence in Auschwitz 1
There were cases of some prisoners who were so distraught by the camp horrors that they would throw themselves “on the wire”.
Each building was identified by a block number.
We walked through several of the brick buildings and explored the inside.
One building we entered had on display hundreds of photos that were taken of the prisoners by the Nazis. Each prisoner was photographed, cataloged and identified by a unique number. It was quite sad seeing the fear and trauma visible on the faces of the prisoners.
Photos of the prisoners at Auschwitz 1 concentration camp.
We went into another building which displayed some of the evidence and photos of the horrible atrocities done by the German Nazis. There where remains of clothing, shoes and other personal belongings which the Nazis gathered from the prisoners to use for the German war effort. Even the hair of the prisoners was kept and used for mattresses or made into blankets for the German soldiers.
Thousands of shoes of murdered prisoners
We went to another building, identified as block 11. This particular building was used for several functions. The Nazi SS imprisoned camp prisoners suspected of clandestine activities or prisoners who had attempted to escape. Prisoners in this block were sentenced to death in numerous cruel ways, including starvation or by firing squad.
Block 11, where prisoners were routinely sentenced to death.Wall used by firing squad between Block 10 and Block 11 buildings.
We then walked to the far end of the camp to a small unassuming building. This building was the first building used by the Nazis as a gas chamber and a crematorium.
The building that contained the first crematorium and gas chamber at Auschwitz 1.
This crematorium was used from August 1940 to July 1943. It was calculated that 340 corpses per day could be cremated in this building.
The crematorium furnaces in the building containing the first gas chamber and crematorium.
By the time we finished walking through the Auschwitz 1 concentration camp we were emotionally drained. It was hard to imagine the atrocities that happened here and how one human could be so cruel to another human.
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