Visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mine in January 2020

Continuing my 60th birthday celebrations in Poland my son and daughter had arranged for us to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine on Sunday the 19th January 2020.

The Main Building

This was another item on my bucket list. Both of the kids had visited the mine before and had tried to describe it to me. Trying to imagine the inside of the mine was extremely difficult so I was thrilled when they told me that this was going to be part of out visit to Poland.

We were due to be picked up by the Escape2poland minibus at 15:20 in the afternoon. I was a little surprised that we were going that late in the afternoon but I hadn't considered that we would be spending the visit underground so it really didn't matter what time we got there.

As our pick up wasn't until mid-afternoon it gave us the morning to explore some of Krakow. What a truly beautiful city it is. We only saw a very small part of it but we all decided that it would be great to return at a later date to visit the city and attempt to do it justice. We thought we might return mid 2021. Who knew what the impact of the Corona Virus was going to be?

We walked back from the Main Square and met our minibus at the collection point. As with the Auschwitz tour, the minibus from Escape2Poland was bang on time. We boarded the bus with a group of other UK tourists.

The journey to the mine took about 45 minutes and took us through some of the interesting parts of the city that the pedestrian tourists wouldn't normally see.

Arriving at the car park we followed our driver up a steep street lined with market stalls selling the usual tourist souvenirs and interesting things to eat. Crossing the road at the top hill we came face to face with the gates to the mine complex. The main mine building was in front of us illuminated in the darkness of the late afternoon light. We had arrived slightly earlier than expected so we had to wait for our English speaking guide to become available.

Mine Building

We had about 15 minutes to wait which gave us a chance to have a quick look around and for me to grab a few photos of the buildings. I was a little apprehensive about the visit. My kids had told me of the long decent down a flight of wooden stairs to the first landing. This had got me worried especially as I have a particularly dodgy left knee which doesn't appreciate stairs. From a photography point of view it was also going to be difficult. The mine, as you would expect, was going to be dark; VERY DARK. Certain areas were dimly lit but otherwise not much illumination. It was going to be long shutter speeds and high ISO plus it was all going to be hand-held. Quite a challenge.

As we passed through the mine I attempted to photograph some of these exhibits, caverns and rooms. I have included my images in the blog, I'm quite pleased how the images turned out in such challenging circumstances. This not so much testament to the photographer but more to the performance of the remarkable Nikon D850 DSLR camera.

Our group was called forward and we met up with our guide. Another lovely Polish lady. We were given a radio receiver and a set of ear pieces each, After ensuring that we could all hear her we entered the main mine reception area. It was nice to be out of the cold and into the warm. However, as we were about to find out, cold really wasn't going to be an issue.

We were told that we would enter the mine complex by descending vis the Mikołaj Daniłowicz Shaft. This meant that we would descend using approximately 380 steps to level I which is about 64 metres. Passing through a surprisingly small door we started down the wooden steps. The staircase was separated into flights of 10-15 steps with a small landing at the end before turning 180 degrees to the next set of steps. Down and down we went. The temperature got warmer the further down we went.

Looking down the wooden staircase

When we finally arrived at Level 1 our guide began to give us some statistics about our visit and about the mine. She explained that the length of the tour route would be about 3.5 kilometres, that the average temperature inside the mine was between 17 and 18ºC, that we would eventually drop down another 2 levels to a final depth of 135 metres. The next thing she said was music to my ears, The return to the surface is by lift from Level III (135 m). This was good as I really wasn't sure if my dodgy knee would make the climb back by stairs.

It's not really the purpose of this blog post to go into the history and the full detail of the mine suffice it to say that it has been in existence since the 11th century and that the salt produced by the mine has been important to the economy of the area and of Poland for some considerable time. Full details of the of the history of the mine can be found on the mines website The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine

There are many caverns and rooms carved into the salt walls and these are a feature of the mine. The mine workers carved various chapels into the walls for the purpose of worship the biggest of which is St. Kinga's Chapel, a cavernous cathedral is the depths of the mine. There are also various other carvings and monuments carved into the mine walls including a monument to Nicolaus Copernicus an astronomer, doctor, translator, economist, military commander. He was one of the first guests who visited the Wieliczka Mine. The salt sculpture depicting Nicolaus Copernicus was unveiled on the 500th anniversary of the birth.

Monument to Nicolaus Copernicus

We continued to descend down towards Level three, passing through caverns and tunnels lined with salt rock walls. We were encouraged to touch the walls and taste the salt on our fingers. In each exhibition area we stopped and our guide explained where we were and what took place there.  

Mine Exhibit

At Level 2 the temperature had risen to a point where people had begun to remove their outside coats, hats and scarves. It was incredible. At the surface it was a wintry 2ºC but down here it was like a warm spring day.

One of the smaller chapels in the mine

At every turn there was something that was more remarkable than the last thing you saw. It was hard to believe that people of all ages worked in this place, mining salt, by nothing more than candlelight, We don't know we're born !!

Mineworker Exhibit

Just when I though I couldn't be any more amazed we arrived at Level 3. Our attention was drawn to a gap in the salt wall that, at first sight, appeared to be a balcony overlooking a cavern. When we approached the gap we realised we were looking over the top of the balcony into a vast carved church. Lit by salt rock chandeliers hanging from the high roof the chapel is enormous. My images really don't convey the sheer size and the magnitude of this place. What we were looking at was St Kinga’s Chapel. I'd heard so much about this place but all that I heard paled into insignificance against actually standing here overlooking the chapel.

Looking into St.Kinga's Chapel from the balcony.

According to the Wieliczka  website "It is said that the temple was created by three sculptor miners: Józef Markowski, Tomasz Markowski and Antoni Wyrodek, but in reality, there were more artists, because the new generations of miners are constantly adding something to each other. Visiting the Tourist Route, you will learn about the history of the chapel and the unusual works of art made of rock salt".

We descended into the chapel by a staircase carved into the rock. Standing at floor level in the chapel you really get a sense of the size of it. There are statues and carvings throughout the chapel and our guide allowed us some extra time here to give us chance to explore more thoroughly. We made a point of trying to see as much as we can. Because of the huge chandeliers there was a little more light than in other places in the mine so I did manage to grab some interesting shots here.

Chandelier

St. Kingas Chapel

The Last Supper Carving

Salt Statue of the Pope

St Kinga’s Chapel was the last destination on the actual tour and from here we made our way through a beautiful lagoon with greenish blue water coloured by the salt in the water.

Lagoon

From the lagoon we moved on to the gift shop. A gift shop !! 135 metres below the ground in a salt mine was a gift shop. We spent about 10 minutes here buying some souvenirs before we were called to start making our way back to the surface. We knew we'd be taking a lift back to the surface but as we made our way there we stopped by another area. Through a door we were shown a concert hall which was carved out of the rock down here at 135 metres. Here all sorts of events take place including Christmas Carol concerts, Operas and various other events.

Finally we moved up another set of stairs to the entrance to the same lifts as the miners used. The lifts take about 10 people at a time and can be quite claustrophobic. We crammed in and the cage door was closed. The lift ascended at considerable speed. At the top we handed in our radio receivers and threw our ear pieces into a bucket. What an experience!! The tour lasted over two hours but it passed so quickly.

If you decide to visit Krakow then I can highly recommend that you allow some time to visit Wieliczka Salt Mine. It's totally awe inspiring and well worth the time. I can also recommend Escap2Poland as an internal tour company. They were punctual, courteous and reasonably priced.  

Once again my thanks to my Daughter Becki and my Son Ben for this unforgeable experience.

 

 

 

 

 Auschwitz - Birkenau visit - January 2020 - Part 2

The thoughts and opinions in this blog are mine and mine alone. The details of the visit are recalled to the best of my ability.

Still reeling from all that we had seen and heard during our visit to Auschwitz I we boarded the mini bus for the short journey to Auschwitz II Birkenau.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

The journey took about 20 minutes and we arrived at the Visitor Centre which is about a 10 minute walk from the camp.

One of the shots on my shot list was the archetypal image looking through the arch of the main gate and along the railway line towards the selection platform. What we hadn't realised was the the month of my 60th birthday coincided with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz (27th January). As part of the celebrations the main entrance archway and buildings had been enclosed in a huge white tent-like structure to allow dignitaries and survivors to attend the celebrations irrespective of the Polish winter weather. Therefore the image above is a composite of the camp barbed wire and a stock shot of the entrance arch.  

This tent-like structure put and end to my plans for that particular shot but it also made me reconsider what shot I could get. We met up with our lovely Polish guide again and we followed her as she made her way towards the main camp. This time we didn't have the radio receiver and ear piece which meant keeping quite close to the main group if we wanted to hear the commentary. Before setting out she reminded us that whereas Auschwitz I was a re-purposing of an existing army barracks, Auschwitz II was a purpose built camp with one purpose in mind. The execution of those deemed not required and the holding of those who were considered fit for work and could be made to serve the Nazi regime in some way.

Walking along a small road and crossing a railway line we got out first glimpse of the camp. The barbed wire fences lined the road and watch towers placed every few hundred yards. It seemed to me, at first, that the wire fences simply lined the approach roads until I realised that the fences were actually lining the perimeter of the camp itself.

Perimeter Fence

Passing through a gate in the fence, we were now in the camp. It was massive. I couldn't take it in. As far as the eye could see were either prison buildings or the remains of prison buildings. The main gate, to our right,  was closed in preparation for the celebrations so we had entered the camp slight further down the road. We were walking down a concourse with the Women's Camp huts to our left and the selection ramp and remaining transport carriage to our right.

Women's Camp

Hut Remains

During our visit to Auschwitz I we had seen images of the selection process on the ramp. We had seen how the prisoners we separated into groups. Men in one group and women and children in the other. Separating families meant nothing to the Nazis. All that mattered was whether someone was of use or not. Those that were of no use, the old, the young, the disabled, etc. were sent immediately from the selection ramp to the concourse and to the gas chambers. This was the 'Walk of Death'. Our guide explained that were were going to follow their path along the 'Walk of Death' to the gas chambers.

Hut Remains with Transport Carriage and platform in the background

From a photography point of view there was so much to point the camera at. It was a balancing act trying to take photographs and also be at the right place to listen to what our guide had to tell us.

We stood at the junction of the path from the selection ramp and the path to the gas chambers. Our guide explained that the huts at the camp were built from stone and brickwork taken from surrounding villages that were demolished by the Nazi's.  As that fact sunk in I looked to my right at the selection ramp and the looked to my front towards the gas chambers. So many people had turned right and walked to their fate along these paths. It was a chilling thought and caused me to lose track of our tour group.

Railway Line looking towards the Gas Chambers/ The Walk of Death is to the left.

A few minutes passed before I realised that our tour group had moved on and was quite a long way in front standing by an information board. My mind was racing. I wanted to catch up and listen to then next lot of information but at the same time I wanted to capture as many images of the camp as I could because I knew we were on a circular walk and that we wouldn't be passing this way again

I started walking towards our group and paused to take in the sheer size of this place. To the left of me were the women's huts that have been left in place as part of the museum but also as a reminder of the horrors that took place here. To the right of me were the remains of huts that had been demolished. Hundreds of huts as far as the eye could see. Huts that, at the camps peak operation, contained over 90,000 prisoners.

The path to the gas chambers was lined with barbed wire and, of course, the obligatory guard towers just to ensure that no one attempted to escape. I finally caught up with our group at the dividing fence between two sets of blocks. Looking up I saw the lights that ran along the fences making sure that everyone could be seen.

Fences and Lights

Our guide explained that prisoners were made to walk from the camp to local factories to perform forced labour. They walked in all weathers and if any prisoner died during the walk in either direction then their comrades were made to carry them until they returned to the camp at the end of the day. If the count of the prisoners that left in the morning did not match the count of the prisoners returning in the evening then the block would be punished.

Watchtower

It was at this point of the visit that we heard the story of Lilly Jacob. On the day of her liberation, in the Dora concentration camp hundreds of miles from Auschwitz, Lilly came across a photo album in a deserted SS barracks.  The album contained not only pictures of her family as they arrived on the ramp and unknowingly awaited their death but it also contained a complete record of the extermination process from start to finish.  It was also the only photographic record of Jews arriving at Auschwitz II. To ensure its safe keeping Lilly passed the album to be  safeguarded at Yad Vashem. The 'Auschwitz Album' can be viewed on their website.

Having heard this amazing story we continued along to the end of the path until we came to the 'Monument To The Victims' commemorating the victims of Auschwitz erected in 1967. We took some time to look at the different memorial stones and their inscriptions. As with most of the things at Auschwitz, it's enormous. It was at this point that my son drew my attention to the fact that we were actually standing at the end of the infamous Railway Line. I turned around to find myself looking up the railway line towards the main gate. This was one of the main shots that I wanted but had somehow lost track of that desire because of all of the other thoughts swimming around my mind as we toured the camp.

Railway Line and Selection Ramp

For a while I simply stared along the track and tried to imagine what was happening here over 75 years previous. Other visitors were trying to take the same image so I quickly dropped to my knees and took a couple of shots. At the end of the Railway line in the shot above you can just make out the tent-like construction that enclosed the main gate and arch. Yes, it would have been nice to see the main gate but I'm more than satisfied with this image. The lack of the gate doesn't really detract from the subject here.

My son and I caught up with our guide as she moved us away from the Monument to the remains of the gas chambers IV and V and the crematoria. The Nazis demolished the chambers in an attempt to disguise their crimes at the end of the war. As you stand a look at the remains you begin to realise that this camp was designed for death at an industrial scale. Totally mechanised. Prisoners entered at one end, got undressed, were gassed and then passed straight to the crematorium to be cremated. Not far from the chambers is a pond into which the ashes of those cremated were disposed of.

Demolished Gas Chambers

Demolished Gas Chambers

We continued our tour by entering one of the only blocks that were accessible. This was in the Women and Children's section. This was yet another reminder that children were held here and were treated no differently to any other inmate. 

Children's Block

As we entered the block we walked to an area that appeared to be a large shelf. Our guide explained that what we were looking at was the 'accommodation' for the inmates and that they slept 3 or 4 to a 'shelf'. Each 'shelf' had one below at ground level and one above. The prisoners were given straw to sleep on. She also explained that as most of the prisoners were on the brink of starvation and that one of the effects of starvation is diarrhoea. Because of the way they were stacked the diarrhoea from those above ran onto those below. Women and children alike.

Sleeping Accommodation

Inside the block the paintings and drawings created by the children of the block still adorned the walls. Although photography was permitted all over the camp I didn't feel I could photograph the art. It felt too personal. We completed our tour of Auschwitz - Birkenau by leaving this block and walking slowly back towards the visitors centre. As we walked we tried to take in the magnitude of the camp and of the atrocities that took place here.

More Camps Huts

Once again it's hard to believe that any regime is capable of designing, building and operating such a place. Man’s inhumanity to man is very much demonstrated that this awful yet fascinating place. It remains here as a reminder from history that nothing like this should ever be allowed to happen again. When you consider that Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II Birkenau was the biggest camp in the system but it was only one of a network of camps the reality really hits home.

As we left I took the image below. It is of the main railway line that fed the camps from the outside. The line is now disused.

The Feeder Line to the Camp.

If you've ever considered visiting the Auschwitz Memorial Museum then you really must. Nothing you've read or seen on TV or in the movies can replace the experience of actually being here. Standing where all of this took place. Although you can tour the camps without a guide I strongly recommend that you take the guided tour. By taking the guided tour you really get to experience the camps at a human level as stories and experiences are passed on by people who know everything there is to know about it.

My thanks to my daughter, Becki and son Ben for this mind-blowing experience that I will never ever forget. 

   

 

 

 

Auschwitz - Birkenau visit - January 2020 - Part 1

The thoughts and opinions in this blog are mine and mine alone. The details of the visit are recalled to the best of my ability.

In January 2020 I turned 60 years old. As part of my birthday celebrations my Son and Daughter arranged a trip to Krakow in Poland. As part of this trip we were going to fulfil two things on my lifetime bucket list. 

• A guided tour around Auschwitz Birkenau Concentration Camp.

• A Visit to the Salt Mine at Wieliczka (this will be the subject of a separate blog post).

We arrived in Krakow on Friday 17th of January after being diverted to Katowice because Krakow was fogged in. Finally arriving at our Air B&B in the Jewish Quarter of Krakow at about 20:00. It was cold and foggy but we decided to take a walk to the Main Square and grab something to eat. The walk was very atmospheric especially as the city still had it's Christmas illuminations on which looked fabulous in through the mist.

Krakow Main Square

After eating we headed back to the B&B to get a good nights rest as the following morning we were heading for Auschwitz.

Waking up on Saturday 18th (My Birthday) I looked out of the balcony window to see that the fog had lifted. It was still a little overcast but it was very cold. About 2 degs C. 

View across Krakow from the balcony of our Air B&B

After breakfast we walked to the meeting point to meet the minibus that had been booked through the company Escape2Poland . We boarded the minibus and began our 60 minute journey to the camps. During the journey the driver ran a DVD detailing the liberation of the camp. It was quite a hard-hitting DVD but it served to set the mood for the visit very well.

For me this visit was primarily a photography visit and consequently I had a list of shots that I definitely wanted to take. However as the visit progressed it became less about the photography and much more about the plight and fate of the prisoners held at the camp. Although I managed to get the shots I wanted each shot was taken with much more purpose and concern as I learned more and more of the history of the events that took place here.

Just before 10 o'clock we arrived in the car park on Auschwitz I and our driver explained that we could not take anything through the gates that was bigger than an A4 piece of paper. All bags, etc had to be left on the minibus. Initially I panicked as I had my camera bag with me. Thankfully cameras are allowed into the camps but they have to be carried out of their bags.

Auschwitz Main Entrance

We joined the queue and eventually passed through the admission area where we were searched and, of course, those people that didn't listen to the driver were relieved of the bags that didn't fit the entry criteria. These could be collected later.

Once through the admission area we met out guide for the tour. A very softly spoken Polish lady. We were issued with a radio receiver and ear-piece so that we could hear her as we progressed through the camp. Our guide spoke with such passion and emotion as she recounted the history of the camp that I couldn't help wondering if she had lost family to the Nazi regime.

First view of the camp

Like all photographers visiting the museum I wanted the classic shot of the entry gate "Albeit Macht Frei" (Work Will Set You Free). I readied the camera and became very excited as we approached the gate. I lifted the camera to my eye when the reality of where we were and what had happened here suddenly hit me. This was one of many such feelings that occured throughout the camp.

The main entrance and gate

It was impossible to get a completely clear shot of the gate due to the other visitors but I did manage to get a reasonable shot.

The infamous sign

After taking this shot I passed through the gate and under the sign. A shudder passed through me as I though of all those people that had passed through it before me.

It is not the intention of this blog post to detail each and every exhibition within the camp as there are many other websites, including the official Auschwitz website, that will do this far more adequately that I could hope to.

As I continued through the gates our guide explained how Auschwitcz I was originally a Polish Army barracks that was re-purposed by the Nazi's to become the infamous prison camp. Once in possession of this knowledge it becomes quite obvious.

Barrack Blocks

Barrack Blocks

As we began our walk around the camp we were told that there were 27 barrack blocks in the complex and several of them were used as exhibition halls. Nearly all of the exhibition halls were available to visit however Block 10 was not. This block was where 'The Angel of Death' Josef Mengele performed his hideous medical experiments on the prisoners including children. This restriction was understandable and, to be honest, I don't think I would have wanted to see inside that one anyway. Our guide also explained that there were certain areas where photography was forbidden and that she would inform us as and when we entered any such area.

We progressed and our guide explained the purpose of each block and gave examples of the activities that took place in the block recalled from evidence provided by survivors of the camp. Entering the first block the story began to unfold. The walls of the block featured images and photographs of the plight of the prisoners. Their stories from leaving their homes, through the transportation to the camp, to their eventual imprisonment, their torture and eventual deaths.

Fences

The day we visited, the outside temperature was around 3 degs C. Quite a mild January by Polish standards. At the time when the camp was in operation temperatures would drop to minus 20 C and below. The prisoners were rarely provided with fuel to heat the prison blocks despite the blocks having the original heaters used by the Polish soldiers stationed there. I was pretty cold in my modern fleece and jeans. Goodness knows what it must have been like to have been there in the depths of winter clothed only in light, striped, pajamas. We were also told how the prisoners were made to stand outside for long periods of time and then made to march to forced labour in the local factories to aid the Nazi war machine.

Between the blocks

Each exhibition hall told a different part of the story either in words and images or with physical materials. Whilst the words and images are harrowing in their own rights it is the physical exhibits that, for me, really brought the reality of the horrors home. It was these displays that brought the most reaction from the visitors and caused the most emotion in me.

Continuing through the museum each hall was more emotional than the previous. We saw the Zyklon B canisters used to gas the prisoners

Disgarded used Zyklon B canisters

We saw the Hall of Hair with two tons of human hair belonging to the female inmates, we saw the mountain of spectacles, the collection of Tallitots (Jewish prayer shawls). We saw the huge collection of prosthetic limbs, the hall of suitcases still with their owners names on them. We saw the piles of deportees shoes, hair brushes, shaving brushes and combs. We saw the enormous collection of kitchen utensils and pots and pans. Photography was forbidden in these areas due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter. Unfortunately this didn't deter some individuals using camera phones.

No explanation needed

As I said earlier, the visit became less about photography and more about the prisoners. In each of the exhibitions halls our guide explained what took place in that particular area and then followed it by an actual account given by a survivor. This brought more reality to being there in that moment. I won't attempt to recall their accounts here as I simply could not do them justice. 

We passed through the prison area where inmates were forced into cells in which they could neither stand nor sit then forced to march to work the following day. In one area we were told how inmates were starved to death by the Nazis so that they could study the effects of starvation or were given lethal injections. Inmates who had comitted offences or broken prison rules would quite often be put to death by shooting. So many were shot that a purpose built wall had to be constructed just outside the jail room. 

Reconstruction of the shooting wall

Roll Call Square

As our visit came to a conclusion we passed the collective gallows where prisoners were executed twelve at a time. Normally these would be those that were caught trying to escape or aiding others in trying to escape. We then saw the gallows that were built to execute the Camp Commandant, Rudolf HÖss, after the camp was liberated.

The gallows constructed to execute the Camp Commandant Rudolf HÖss

Finally we arrived at the site of the Gas Chamber and Crematorium I. We were asked not to take photographs inside the actual chamber, again totally understandable. It's quite a simple building from the outside. Basically on concrete block with chimney and an entrance door. 

The chimney at Crematorium I

However, the reality of what actually took place here beggars belief. As we entered the chamber I snapped the image below which is the last glimpse of the outside world the victims would have had before being put to death. (You have to imagine it without the visitors).

Last View

Walking up the corridor and entering the chamber a chill passed through me as I considered all that had gone on before. We spent a few minutes in the chamber which was lit by a simple dim bulb. When ready we moved out of the gas chamber and into the crematorium. The final destination for the victims. My thoughts turned to them; The old, the young, the disabled, the infirmed, THE REAL PEOPLE that had met their fate in this terrible place. Most visitors walked out in complete silence as they contemplated the dreadful things that occured on this exact spot seventy five years before.

We spent some time outside Gas Chamber I. Time to look across at the Nazi staff accommodation blocks 

Part of the accomodation block

And the beautiful house assigned to Camp Commandant Rudolf Hoss. To witness the stark differences between their lives and the lives of the inmates.

I have read many books and seen many documentaries about the Holocaust and the atrocities that took place under the Nazi regime but nothing can compare to visiting the Memorial Museum at Auschwitz and standing where some of these atrocities actually took place.

Part of an Electric Fence

We decided to visit the museum book shop and as we walked towards it I attempted to reconcile all that I had heard and seen during my visit. 

How can one group of human beings decide to exterminate another group of human beings simply because of their race?   

What gives any group of human being the right to exterminate another group of human beings?

The Nazi's didn't miss a trick! If it could be sold, melted down, re-purposed or reused then it was. The human hair, the suitcases, the pots and pans, the hair brushes, the shaving brushes, the jewellery, even the gold teeth were all used the help the Nazi war machine.

Of all of the exhibitions and exhibits in Auschwitz I museum the one I found most moving and most thought provoking was the Hall of Pots and Pans. For me this demonstrates Nazi cruelty in action. The Nazi's fooled the deportees by telling them they were simply being relocated and to pack their the things they would need for theiir new life. 

This they did in good faith when their fate had already been decided by the regime. To fill people with false hope in full knowledge that this hope was never real is mental and physical cruelty at its worst. To me the piles of pots and pans represented the deportees hopes and dreams for the future, for their new lives. This is my opinion and upset me the most.     

Auschwitz I was just the start of the Nazi killing machine. The beginning of The Final Solution. We left the bookshop and headed for the minibus so that we could travel to the biggest killing machine of all. The purpose built camp of Auschwitz II - Birkenau. We visit this in the next post.