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Birkenau, a horrible landscape


Marquinius

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What can I say ... the thing that still spooks me, is the size of it all. This is really a massive complex and although less "educative" (there are some signs and some of the barracks have a few mementoes) the experience was even more overpowering for me than Auschwitz I.

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Marco,

 

It is tough to photograph a place like this. I only saw Buchenwald and it was a transformative experience. Our daughter was 10 at the time and we spent the whole day walking, talking, keeping silent, and feeling numb. Her questions and comments led me to believe that everyone should see one of these camps, at least once. No amount of reading, watching documentaries, nothing comes even close to the horror one feels in the place itself.

 

Your images are powerful enough to bring back all those feelings and memories for me. I am glad you visited and documented through your own eyes.

 

Ece

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Marco,

 

It is tough to photograph a place like this. I only saw Buchenwald and it was a transformative experience. Our daughter was 10 at the time and we spent the whole day walking, talking, keeping silent, and feeling numb. Her questions and comments led me to believe that everyone should see one of these camps, at least once. No amount of reading, watching documentaries, nothing comes even close to the horror one feels in the place itself.

 

Your images are powerful enough to bring back all those feelings and memories for me. I am glad you visited and documented through your own eyes.

 

Ece

Marco,

 

I agree with Ece's comments. This cannot be fully absorbed from pictures and if everyone had the opportunity to see this and the history of the consequences of these atrocities, perhaps there would be a different attitude about the events of today.

 

Paul

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What can I say ... the thing that still spooks me, is the size of it all. This is really a massive complex and although less "educative" (there are some signs and some of the barracks have a few mementoes) the experience was even more overpowering for me than Auschwitz I.

 

This is an excellent shot of a very sad place!

 

Bernhard

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Marco,

 

truly nothing compares to the 3. Reich Konzentrationslager, definiteley not.

Your picture is excellent and invites for silent commemoration.

 

Though, today I just read a long article about Guantanamo: I think it is

a massive sign of failure of democracy that still today we have such a place

of lawlessness.

 

Thanks for posting.

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While I do agree that Birkenau is a horrible landscape, I also remember a very deep sense of calm and serenity while visiting the camp a few years ago, which of course contrasted very much with all other feelings. It was february, there were very few visitors around and a bit of snow on the ground. Towards the back side of the camp, from the bush, a couple of deer came out and started grazing around peacefully. What a strange feeling.. My photo series from the camps can be seen through the link below, in case. It would be interesting to compare the different individual experiences through our photos..

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