Slovakia

Slovakia

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Auschwitz-Birkenau II

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Arbeit Macht Frei (Work makes [you] free)

Saturday the 20th we took an hour drive (from Krakow) to the town of Oświęcim which was the location of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War II.  When the Nazis entered the area in late 1939 they removed more than 17,000 local residents and built a 40km perimeter around the area, eventually building Auschwitz I (the base camp), Auschwitz II-Birkenau (the extermination camp), Auschwitz III (the labor camp) and 45 satellite camps.

Originally designed to be a camp for political dissidents and prisoners of war, it was later seen to be a perfect location for the Nazis to find their solution to the Jewish question.  Because of it's central location in Europe and vast connections to train networks, it became the biggest and deadliest camp of the war.  Between 1940 and 1945 at least 1 and a half million people lost their lives, of which about 90% were Jews.  It was a difficult and emotional day and I was surprised by just how much I learned.  This is now the third camp I have visited and I found the size and scale of it to be the biggest surprise as the extermination camp is absolutely massive.

Being that we visited the camp on a Saturday in the middle of July, likely the busiest day of the year for visitors, there was a ton of people there to tour the camp.  This is where we had our biggest problem with visiting Auschwitz.  When we arrived we saw this huge line to get into the camp and it became clear that we would be waiting a very long time to get in.  In the two plus hours we waited, we noticed one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen.  People were laughing and joking around, eating pizza, ice cream and sandwiches while they waited to enter the site of possibly the most evil place on earth.  We both saw this as unbelievably disrespectful and made me think about what it would feel like if we were first time visitors to the camp and had lost a friend or family member to this series of camps.  While it was an excellent experience, and one I will never forget, I think the impact could easily be lost when the very camp that saw so much suffering and starvation serves ice cream and pizzas just outside the gates.  An excellent Wikipedia article on the camp can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp

Kraków

Main Market Square

Kraków

Wawel Castle

Poland

Vainstream 2013

In an odd story (that I will not go into), I was given a free ticket to this years Vainstream Rockfest here in Münster. While I was not really interested in most of the bands performing, there was one band that I have followed since high school - Clutch. They are definitely one of my all time favorites and they would be closing the show. While walking around the festival grounds I was given a chance to meet the band, and after not seeing them perform in over ten years that was a pretty cool experience.

Just another year at the BWZ.

Last Friday marked the last day at the BWZ for this year, and what a great group to share it with.  We had a great time together from start to finish.  I was originally supposed to have a different group and it was changed last minute.  I am very happy it happened the way it did. Best of luck to all of them.

Pictured from left: Maria, Julia, Chris, Me, Kosi, Christoph (Panda), Maria, Carla, Robin

So now that I am finished working at the BWZ for the year, that frees up enough time to begin traveling again.  Sarah and I will leave next Thursday for Poland.  We will spend a few days in Krakow before heading to Slovakia and a night in Dresden on our way back.  Pictures to follow.

Almost finished...

After finishing this May class it leaves just one more for the BWZ season.  And like last year, I have had great luck enjoying excellent classes throughout the year and this class was another great one.  We did lose a couple students to testing half-way through, but we had some great laughs as well. I wish them all the best.

From left: Nancy, Nicole, Me, Lea, Michael, Steve, Sven  (Not Pictured Anja, Carina, and Steffen)

So with just one month left of real, full time work, it's time to start thinking about summer plans.  I need to get a work visa soon, and I needed to replace my now expired Passport, so that will be the immediate focus.  When the visa arrives I hope to make a couple trips throughout the summer.  However, nothing planned just yet.