• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Photos • Poland  >  Photo Essay: Birkenau Extermination Camp
PhotosPoland

Photo Essay: Birkenau Extermination Camp

Matthew Klint Posted onAugust 12, 2022August 12, 2022 22 Comments

After visiting Auschwitz, my next stop was Birkenau. As I walked though the Birkenau Extermination Camp at dusk, it hit me like a freight train once again how depraved the human race is.

Birkenau Extermination Camp, A Photo Essay

The scary thing is how efficient the operation was, like a well-oiled Mercedes Benz. As you cross under the iconic arch and into the camp, you realize that the railroad tracks you are standing on were specifically laid to transport men, women, and children directly to slaughter. Most were gassed. Many were worked to death first. Some became medical experiments. Others were brutally tortured…for sport.

Why? Even before the Jews and other persecuted minorities were killed, Nazi Germany cultivated a concept called Lebensunwertes Leben (“life unworthy of life”). This program included eugenics, forced sterilization, and eventually a euthanasia program personally ordered by Adolf Hitler meant to rid the German race of so-called impurity. Like many things, it started on a small scale and grew to something far more destructive and pervasive.

This cavalier perspective on human life helps to explain why Birkenau came into being and how, after years of laying the groundwork, so many could be so complicit in murdering human beings. Deep down they knew it was wrong, but had been programmed to believe it was life unworthy of life or that the rights of others were more paramount. Men do a wonderful job at suppressing their conscience and disregarding the universal value that human life is sacred.

Birkenau, also known as Auschwitz II and part of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, is not within walking distance of Auschtiwz. Instead, the two are 3.5 kilometers apart, a drive which took about seven minutes.

Give yourself several hours here to walk around. We entered around dusk and were not chased out, but could have used a lot more time. Walking through the quiet barracks and ruins of gas chambers under the shadow of a full moon, however, was a poignant reminder that even in the stillness of the night there is a deep sense of unease while standing in a place that was a hub of great evil.

The remains of a gas chamber and crematorium:

Previous Article Witless Teenager Busted For Stealing Passenger Luggage After Apple AirTag Leads Police To His Home
Next Article Boys’ Night Out At LAX

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • American Airlines Photo Incident

    American Airlines Passenger Physically Detained By Captain While Flight Attendant Grabs His Mobile Phone

    November 2, 2022
  • Apartheid Museum South Africa

    Photo Essay: Apartheid Museum South Africa

    October 22, 2022
  • London Mourning Photo Essay

    Photo Essay: London Mourning

    September 19, 2022

22 Comments

  1. Dave Edwards Reply
    August 12, 2022 at 9:56 am

    Thank you for doing these stories. It’s a historical event and locations that never can be forgotten once those who lived it are gone from this Earth. At times I fear it is being slowly happening intentionally or unintentionally.

  2. RetiredATLATC Reply
    August 12, 2022 at 9:56 am

    Sobering indeed. Thank you Matthew

  3. James Harper Reply
    August 12, 2022 at 10:39 am

    Well done Matthew.

    I visited Birkenau on a warm and sunny day one May and I’ve never felt as cold as I did there. I found it worse than the Auschwitz main camp and far more disturbing. People passed through the railway arch, got off trains and walked towards the trees at the far end where the gas chambers were. You could have believed it was a pleasant walk after being stuck on a train for days, you might have had hope that things were to get better and instead people were dead within the hour.

    Never tolerate racism because this is where it ends.

  4. Jerry Reply
    August 12, 2022 at 11:57 am

    I’m going to be an optimist. You describe the human race as depraved, but I think the fact that we find events like this to be rare and abhorrent means that we are in fact, not depraved, and the few who are make up the worst amongst us.

    • Debit Reply
      August 12, 2022 at 12:19 pm

      Read up the experiment by the Stanford professor about the fake prison run by students. It’s a fascinating study. Google will find it easily.

      Humans want to be depraved. They are always looking for an excuse. Maybe that’s why religion is both essential and dangerous at the same time.

    • David James Reply
      August 12, 2022 at 4:57 pm

      There is good and bad in all of us. Never forget that the land which gave us Bach, Beethoven, Einstein, Daimler and Diesel also gave us Auschwitz, Sobibor and Treblinka.

      There’s nothing unique to Germany about that range of diversity, it could happen anywhere.

  5. Mark Reply
    August 12, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    “Like a well oiled Mercedes Benz……..”
    Poor choice of words……..very unprofessional:
    I can’t imagine Mercedes Benz being happy at their fine vehicles being linked to the depraved terror suffered by so many……
    Shame on you.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      August 12, 2022 at 7:17 pm

      And I’m quite sure my reference was very deliberate.

      https://group.mercedes-benz.com/company/tradition/company-history/1933-1945.html

      • Lukas Reply
        August 13, 2022 at 4:21 am

        That’s what I thought. Well done.

      • Adib Reply
        August 13, 2022 at 11:46 am

        May I add this:

        https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2663635/Revealed-How-Nazis-helped-German-companies-Bosch-Mercedes-Deutsche-Bank-VW-VERY-rich-using-slave-labor.html

    • 4u2Know Reply
      August 13, 2022 at 9:17 am

      Mark, you wanted to make a point, to shame Matthew, without doing the homework. He showed you the error of your harsh words, that he professionally did his homework regarding the automobile manufacturer. It’s hard to go back and make it right but I think you owe Matthew an apology.

  6. Tony N Reply
    August 12, 2022 at 6:48 pm

    Sad but true, human society will always have Wars. WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, etc. We will never learn.

  7. Christian Reply
    August 13, 2022 at 2:12 am

    Any thoughts on which camp to visit first or is it pretty much irrelevant?

    • James Harper Reply
      August 13, 2022 at 10:56 am

      It depends on how gruesome you want the experience to be!

      • Christian Reply
        August 13, 2022 at 6:01 pm

        When I saw The Killing Fields in Cambodia, I saw the infamous Tuol Sleng prison where many of the murdered were tortured as well. The thing is, it would have made a lot more sense to do this chronologically with the prison first and the Killing Fields after but our guide did this (IMO) backwards. That made the whole narrative a little less effective and striking. Hence my question to Matthew.

        • James Harper Reply
          August 14, 2022 at 10:50 am

          If you want to begin at the beginning, Dachau was the first camp followed by Buchenwald and Sachenhausen, all in Germany.

          The villa on the lakeside at Wansee where the conference was held that determined the ‘final solution’ and on the way back from there stop at platform 17 at Grunewald where Berlin deportations happened.

          The operation Reinhard camps came first, Treblinka, Sobibor and Majdanek, only the last one has much left, it’s near Lublin. They were in full swing as the focus of Auschwitz moved towards mass killing. More is known about Auschwitz because it was bigger and had work camps, the others really were just killing machines and there are fewer accounts because almost no one survived.

          For Auschwitz itself, I agree with Matthew, Auschwitz first and Birkenau afterwards. No amount of preparation will prepare you for what you will see.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      August 13, 2022 at 6:06 pm

      I liked the order in which I went. I don’t think it matters, but the exhibits in Auschwitz prepared me for Birkenau.

  8. David Eresthet Reply
    August 13, 2022 at 11:55 am

    You can indeed walk between the two camps and it’s highly recommended to do so. Tens of thousands of people do it on Holocaust Remembrance Day as part of the March of the Living. In fact, on the way, there are preserved railway sidings where the trains would stop and SS officers would make selections of prisoners. Incredibly recommended vs. driving.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      August 13, 2022 at 12:09 pm

      This is very helpful and I was not aware. Thanks for your comment.

  9. Cindy Todd Reply
    August 15, 2022 at 11:54 am

    I thank you for sharing your photos. I Appreciate your effort and would like to visit there myself one day. Found this on an app I use for news. How do I read more about your travels?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      August 15, 2022 at 12:05 pm

      Hello Cindy, you can subscribe to my daily email digest by using the pop-up that should come up on the screen when you scroll down a blog story.

  10. Joyce Cahill Reply
    August 15, 2022 at 12:42 pm

    Matthew,
    I visited Dachau back in 1984, and I can still recall the eerie and sad feeling that I felt. I can’t help but bring myself to tears when I think about all the suffering the Jewish people endured and suffered as a result of their race and religion. I read a lot of WWII Europe books; some are nonfiction, and some are fiction based on truth. I have learned so much.
    I lived in Germany for three years back in the early to mid sixties with my husband who was in the military; one of my children was born in Frankfurt. At that time, it was almost twenty years since the war ended in 1945. When I think back, I was still very young to understand or know the reality of what actually occurred. It was when I visited Dachau with my second husband and the reading I’ve done, that it really impacted me.
    Thank you for visiting the various camps, and keep on writing.. So many Jewish people across the many countries in Europe have suffered at the result of that madman’s reign of terror.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Spirit brawl
    Brawl: Spirit Airlines Employees Drawn Into Gate Fight February 5, 2023
  • runway incursion
    Close Call: Two Airliners Narrowly Avoid Runway Catastrophe February 5, 2023
  • belarus journalist arrested on ryanair flight
    Couple Abandon Child At Airport Over €25 Fee February 5, 2023
  • United Airlines Steakhouse Cheeseburger
    Steakhouse Cheeseburger On United Airlines February 4, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Spirit Airlines Captain Runs Out Of Cockpit After Woman Yells “I Hope Y’All Crash And Die!” January 17, 2023
  • Hotel Worker entered room
    Woman Demands $3,000 In Compensation After Hotel Worker Walked Into Her Room At Midnight January 24, 2023
  • United Airlines 2023 Status Extension
    United Airlines Quietly Extends MileagePlus Premier Status…Again January 14, 2023
  • United Airlines Polaris Meal Service: The Sad State Of Affairs January 27, 2023

Archives

February 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728  
« Jan    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.