This powerful image captures the entrance gate to Auschwitz I, the former Nazi concentration and extermination camp in Oświęcim, Poland. The infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign, meaning “Work Sets You Free,” stands as a stark reminder of the atrocities committed during World War II. Framed by the historic brick buildings and barbed wire fences, this solemn site serves as a crucial symbol for honoring the memory of the millions of victims and reflecting on the importance of preserving history to ensure it is never forgotten. (Olga Khazai - Adobe Stock)

Being at Auschwitz hit me hard. It was a place where so many people lived a fate worse than death, but it felt inexplicably familiar. It looked exactly like an Army barracks, and as a military kid it was incredibly strange and a little scary to feel almost at home in that space, especially with the sun out and flowers growing.

I attend Bertha von Suttner IGS, a German high school, and in ninth grade we took a class trip to the Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau after spending an entire semester discussing Nazi Germany. We went over the history of World War II in previous years and would cover it in even more personal ways over the next few years as well. In my German school it was presented in a way that says, “this is something that happened in your past and we are never going to forget.”

While at the original Auschwitz camp we had a guide, and they really helped explain what we were seeing and provided a deeper meaning. In the museum, one of the exhibits was a big room full of stuff collected from the prisoners. It was intense to see how inhumanely they were treated, and, like livestock, everything these people had was used. We saw how their hair was cut and woven into blankets for SS soldiers. There was a wall full of baby dolls, and another space full of kids’ shoes. It was horrendous to see, and it made me think about how humanity has failed so many times in the past.

Being at Auschwitz that first day hit me hard, and there’s a point when you just can’t understand it, so you start to block it out. You feel like there was no way that a person could do this to another person. But being in the place where these atrocities did happen, made it so real and insane. It’s terrifying to see how easily we can become desensitized to that kind of thing.

There is a large record book of all the people that were there. It spans an entire room. I looked up my last name, and it was in there. Almost everyone in my class could find a familiar name. It showed just how deeply scarring this place was for our German history.

Later, we walked through the original front gate of Auschwitz under the words, “arbeit macht frei,” which means that, “if you work you will earn your freedom.” It was a reminder of one of the most disturbing thing Nazis did: give people hope. Being there put me in the shoes of people clinging to hope, people never giving up their indomitable human spirit.

A concentration camp is not a tourist destination. It is a memorial. Treat it like you would when visiting an American military cemetery; it is the resting place of over 1.1 million people. It’s a quiet, respectful place where it’s not appropriate to be taking selfies and posting them on social media.

This poignant image depicts a memorial exhibit inside the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. A wall filled with photographs of Holocaust victims stands as a haunting tribute to the lives lost, each image representing a story of hope, family, and humanity. The stark simplicity of the room amplifies the emotional weight of the exhibit, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of remembering and honoring the victims of this tragic chapter in history. (MATEUSZ FELIKSIK - Adobe Stock)

On our second day, my class visited the Birkenau (Auschwitz II) camp. It was one of the three huge installations that made up the entire Auschwitz complex. Unlike the Auschwitz camp, it was very green with a melancholy feel. There are only a few reconstructed huts so you can see how the prisoners lived, and you can see the original gas chambers underground. We walked along the train tracks that brought in prisoners, and silently visited the ruins of other buildings. Our guide helped us understand what we were looking at.

Birkenau is also where the big memorial is, so the grounds feel hushed and respected. It is almost beautiful to see how these people, these victims, are being remembered after so many years. There were thousands of Jewish people, but also many other minority groups as well, anyone who was LGBTQ, ‘gypsies,’ Islamic people, any people of color.

Auschwitz was used towards the end of the war. There were many other camps used previously, but it was the biggest. What makes it one the scariest places is that you can tell the Nazi leaders were feeling the pressure of maybe losing the war and being discovered. In 1942, it became the largest extermination center where the “Endlösung der Judenfrage” (the final solution to the Jewish question) was enacted. Auschwitz was where they killed as many people as they could in as little time. It’s also where Josef Mengele did his inhumane experiments of prisoners.

I was 14 when I went to Auschwitz, and I think that age was appropriate; a mature 13-year-old would also probably be ok. It’s important to learn about the place ahead of time because there is an added layer of emotion when you are actually there. I don’t recommend taking younger kids; however, families could potentially go and not visit inside the buildings. Keep in mind that it is a quiet, somber place where children should not be running around. It is a memorial and a resting place. Kids, no matter what age, will be able to feel the extremely heavy environment and that alone may be a little bit too much for them.

To understand more about Auschwitz, visit lesson.auschwitz.org where organized and thorough e-learning lessons are available.

Entry to the site must be reserved ahead of time from the www.auschwitz.org/en website. Free entry is available, typically in the late afternoon, but I highly recommended purchasing a guided tour.