It was dreadful. The solemn feeling felt throughout the concentration camp. I was walking into one of the most horrid memories of history. The Holocaust.

When one visits Poland, it is hard to imagine that the beautiful and exciting country filled with gleeful tourists and delicious food holds such a dark past. This past summer I visited the country with my family for vacation. It was during our second day in Poland that we went to Auschwitz, the most notorious of the Holocaust concentration camps. As we waited to enter the campgrounds, I felt the dreary atmosphere and noticed the solemn faces of the other tourists. Then our turn came to enter the camp, my mind completely unaware of the extent of the strong emotions and newly discovered awareness I would end the day with.

Growing up I've always associated the Holocaust with novels, notes, and movies. Although I had been informed of the history, never had I had an emotional or personal connection with the topic of WWII and the genocide that occurred. It was one of the many dark parts of history and of the now seemingly distant past. I wondered why I should linger over finished events that cannot be changed. The answer to my question became clear to me before that day was over.

I walked through the famous gates of Auschwitz in which the phrase “Abreit macht frei”- “work makes you free” was written. I had seen fleeting black and white pictures of this historical gate countless times before. Seeing it in person solidified the fact that pictures in history books and the events that came with it were still very tangible in today's world. I was able to picture the victims walking through these gates, reading the sign and envisioning hope. This sign, which gave the Jews visions of freedom and opportunity, was nothing but a cruel joke created by the Germans. I felt nauseated and repulsed thinking about how these soldiers could treat fellow human beings with such indifference. At this point I had just entered the concentration camp and had already felt emotionally drained.

For me, the worst part about the camp was reading each individual story from the survivors on the conditions that they lived in and treatment they endured. To say that the Germans were brutal is a severe understatement. As I read each account, it became increasingly uncomfortable to stand in the same spots where such cruel and violent acts were committed. It is difficult to put into words the emotions felt when walking through a place where such horrid events occurred. With all of the images and descriptions provided by the survivors, it is easy to imagine oneself 70 years ago walking around the camp. It is an experience that cannot be compared to reading it within a book. With my eyes, I was able to see the tiny rooms where around 50 people were crammed. I was able to imagine them sleeping on the rock hard floor and walking around barefoot and nearly naked in the biting cold of winter. These were the stories that came to life before my eyes and made me cringe and my heartbreak. These were the stories that are impossible to truly relate to until the harsh and rough conditions described are seen in person.

I began to question how it was possible for actual human beings to simply watch, mock, and actively participate as the Nazis did in these horrid events. How is it possible for a person to be so cruel? This will be a question that I am sure no one can answer, as there simply is no explanation. I can only imagine the surviving family members of the victims. How difficult and heartbreaking it must have been and still is for them to know what their loved ones went through. It was experience that can never be fully described, as one has to experience it to understand. It reminded me of how lucky I am to be able to see pieces of the past, as it becomes more than just a page in a history book before my eyes. The gate made me realize that for me it was a reality: Work brings freedom and privileges.