Several weeks ago, we took a family trip to a concentration camp in Flossenberg, which is only about an hour from where we live. Although it was sunny when we left our house, the weather was cool and cloudy when we arrived at the camp and added to the somber atmosphere.
The above photo shows the Flossenburg castle ruins, the castle was built nearly 900 years ago. The town has a large granite quarry, many of the prisoners in the concentration camp worked at the quarry.
The above photo shows the "Valley of Death". It sits outside the concentration camp gate. The crematorium can be seen. Those who stayed at this camp included foreign prisoners of war, Jews, asocials, and Resistance prisoners. Nearly 96,000 prisoners passed through this camp and around 30,000 people died there.
The sign above refers to the mound (Pyramid Of Ashes) which can be seen behind me in the photo below. In the later part of the war, the crematorium could not keep up, so mass-burnings were done. This was done less than 70 years ago.
Below, there is a sign which reads "Prisoners were shot in mass here". It is hard to imagine that such inhumane things were done to so many people.
This ramp (seen above and below) led from the hole in the prison fence down to the crematorium. A cart on rails was used on this ramp to get bodies down to the crematoruim easier and faster. Many people died via mass shootings, hangings, sickness, and malnutrition.
The photo below shows three watchtowers and a chapel. The chapel was built following the end of the war.
The photo below is inside the prison fence. The building represents part of a prison barracks where resistance prisoners were kept and tortured. Prisoners were executed in the courtyard where my kids are now playing. The european-looking woman is my wife.
I know this is not a fun post. This was not a fun place to visit, especially when you consider the sufferings, fear, and pain that people experienced here. However, both Emily and I were glad that we could visit this camp. I gained a better understanding of the heinous and abhorrent acts which were committed here not that long ago. Reading about concentration camps has helped me learn about what happened there, but actually walking on the ground has helped me feel a little bit of just how horrible things were. We certainly have a better appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy.
6 comments:
We have been wanting to go here. But I always want everything to be sparkles and flowers, so I have been avoiding it. I need to suck it up and get to know some real life history. Thanks for a good blog post.
I have to say, I was pretty touched by this post. How ironic to see your girls playing on the same exact ground that so much agony and injustice was felt. I'm sure the experience and feelings will never leave you. Thanks for sharing.
-Suzy Harper (Hansen)
Talk about wanting to hug your spouse and kids a little tighter. Great post. It really helps put things into perspective sometimes.
Wow. I think it's so cool how you are getting to tour Europe. Do you get homesick for the states? Also, I will be sure to email you soon about places in the Netherlands, just figured I'd talk to Dave first since he knows a lot more than me.
WOW..cool post thanks! It was neat to see those pictures and the information you gave was great! How sad that must have been....
I have always liked reading historical fiction especially about world war II. It always makes me apprecitae my freedoms and rights. When we go back East to see my parents we have gone to the Holocaust museum. It was hard to get through without keeping a dry eye but it really does put things in to perspective and make you personally want to try to be a better, kinder person to others. Thanks for sharing these photos.
Marcella
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