At first glance, Auschwitz is practically no different from hundreds of other Polish towns - today it is a fairly developed industrial center with the usual architecture for Polish cities. Why then hundreds of tourists of different nationalities, ages and social status all year round come here with a one-day excursion?
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How to get here
Getting there is easiest from Krakow, where there are regular trains and regular buses .Regardless of which type of transport you choose, overcoming a distance of sixty kilometers will take you about an hour and a half, since both the train and the bus make numerous stops in various localities .The ticket price is also not particularly different .The only difference is that on the bus you can immediately go to the main museum without a transfer, but when you get off the train, you will need to drive a little on the city bus or walk on foot .
A bit of history
For the first time information about Auschwitz appeared in written sources in the 12th century, when the city was still a part of the Czech lands .Later on the territories adjacent to the city formed an independent principality, whose history was short-lived, and already in the 15th century Auschwitz became part of Poland .A successful geographical location at the crossroads of strategically important trade routes contributed to the rapid development of the city and its special status and trade privileges, in particular, merchants paid to the city treasury tolls, and also supplied the city with all sorts of valuable goods .
Auschwitz was expanding at a rapid pace, construction was actively carried out, churches and churches, the town hall, educational institutions were built, and even a shelter for the destitute was built .The rich and prosperous city was a particularly attractive prey for the Austrian and Swedish princes who repeatedly tried to subordinate it to their authority .In addition, local residents have been constantly affected by various epidemics and numerous fires .All this gradually, but irreversibly led the city to decline .And the population of ten thousand, most of whom were Jews, began to live a very quiet provincial life, which peacefully flowed until 1940 .
It was then that the Third Reich rebuilt here its short-lived, but historically reigned supremacy. The city was renamed to the German mode in Auschwitz, and on its territory the largest Nazi concentration camp was erected, a real "death factory", monstrous the world still did not know. Tragically, the lives of millions of people, among whom there were many children, were tragically endured here, for five years there were unthinkable experiments on living people, the attitude towards which was very cruel.
When the fascists left the territories occupied by them, they did not manage to destroy the concentration camp, and in 1947 it was turned into a memorial museum, which is intended to remind people of how human insanity and cruelty can reach, and to prevent such phenomena in the future.
Auschwitz-Birkenau
"Auschwitz-Birkenau" is one of the most frequented Polish museums. Its main feature is the reliability - here everything remained exactly as it was at the time of the camp's operation. Here are the personal belongings of prisoners, gas chambers and crematoria and even whole halls full of human hair that the Germans used in light industry. Getting here, plunging into a rather gloomy and tragic atmosphere, imbued with incredible compassion for the innocently ruined lives.
In addition, in Auschwitz there is the memorial house-museum of Shimon Kluger - one of the last inhabitants of the city of Jewish origin, who managed to survive the Holocaust, his parents died in Auschwitz. It was in this house that he lived with his large family, now various expositions are presented here, telling on the example of this rather well-to-do family about the then life in the city.
Auschwitz landmarks
Despite its history, Auschwitz is a nice town with quiet quiet streets, along which are cozy old, mostly two-story houses, with a beautiful city hall and market square in front of it, a city park and a pond where dozens of swan pairs live, incredible beauty Cathedral of the Assumption St. Mary and even the city castle .This castle is characterized by strict forms and is devoid of the grace with which such architectural complexes are usually associated, but it is restored and is in excellent condition .
The city has a fairly developed infrastructure, it takes care of both physical and spiritual development. So, in Auschwitz there is an ice arena, a huge indoor pool, various sports facilities, numerous cultural centers and clubs of interest.
So, having visited Auschwitz-Birkenau, you surely will take a short walk around the city to escape from gloomy thoughts and recharge your pleasant impressions, and by all means visit one of the many cafes to enjoy a fragrant drink and delicious Polish desserts. Photos of Auschwitz (14)