Lessons from Auschwitz as students mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday, January 27, local students have shared their experience of visiting Auschwitz concentration camp. The students attended a five-day trip to Poland as part of the ‘Learning From Auschwitz’ last year and have penned their feelings, memories and thoughts on the experience.
A journey through memory: a personal experience at Auschwitz

By Chelsea Alecio and Jamal El Bakali

On this Holocaust Memorial Day, we reflect on our experience at Auschwitz, not just as mere visitors, but as witnesses to a legacy of pain, resilience and the unbreakable human spirit.

The Krakow Ghetto, established by the Nazis during World War II, stands as a haunting reminder of the cruelty endured by Jewish communities under occupation. A distinct symbol of oppression, the ghetto was small, overcrowded and confining, forcing thousands of Jews into a space of mere survival.

Its walls, shaped ominously like Jewish gravestones, carried a chilling message of inevitable death, further dehumanising those trapped within.

Fragments of those walls remain today, preserving the memory of this dark chapter in history.

Within the ghetto, the Gestapo established an office, tightening their grip on the residents and reinforcing their power.

Yet, even amid this environment of fear, courage persisted, such as the efforts of the White Rose resistance group, who risked their lives to oppose Nazi tyranny.

The existence of the ghetto and the remnants left behind remind us to reflect on the horrors of oppression and to cherish the freedoms we enjoy today, freedoms that others fought and sacrificed for so valiantly.

When walking through the gates of Auschwitz, marked with the chilling phrase “Arbeit Macht Frei,” we were struck with silence, and our silence spoke louder than the words being spoken around us.

Visiting this place is not just an encounter with history, but a deeply personal reckoning with the weight of humanity’s darkest chapter. Walking through the cabins built by the people held captive struck a chill down our spines.

We encountered exhibits filled with haunting artifacts - piles of shoes, suitcases and even locks of hair.

These casings made us realise how they were completely stripped of their identity. Walking through the camp didn’t feel real at all; it felt cold and damp, and the more we walked around, the worse it got.

This shows how we cannot let people who have prejudice get in control; we cannot let things like this happen ever again. What struck us most was a room filled with photographs of families, friends and couples.

The faces stared back at us; these faces made the place feel surreal, as if this was just a made-up part of history, but it clearly wasn’t.

When being inside one of the gas chambers, we realised and were reminded that Auschwitz is not just a site of death, but also a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the importance of resistance, even in the face of unimaginable suffering.

Those gas chambers were probably the most horrific part of the camp - everyone was cramped in one small space and gassed to death.

Being in there with the group was terrifying; standing in the same place as the ones who were murdered made us sick. But, unlike them, we were able to walk out of the room alive.

This shows we should appreciate the freedom we have and be thankful for the lives we are given.

Visiting Auschwitz challenged us to think deeply about the fragility of human rights and the consequences of hatred left unchecked. It became painfully clear how prejudice and propaganda can escalate into unimaginable atrocities when left unchallenged.

We left with a renewed sense of responsibility to recognise and confront injustice wherever it arises. The ghetto’s walls, shaped like gravestones, and the chilling phrase “Arbeit Macht Frei” at the entrance of Auschwitz both symbolise the dehumanisation and suffering endured by millions.

Yet, these spaces also bear witness to the resilience of the human spirit and the courage of those who resisted.

They remind us of the cost of freedom and the duty we have to protect it. As we walked through the gates of Auschwitz, we were reminded of a haunting truth: We walked in through the same gates, but the difference is that we got to leave freely.

This stark reality compels us to reflect on our freedoms, to value them, and to honour the memory of those who could not leave by standing against hatred and oppression in all its forms.

The echoes of the past urge us to remain vigilant, so that the atrocities of history remain lessons, not patterns, and the voices of those who suffered are never forgotten.

Constant and unshakeable feeling of sympathy

By Phoebe Traverso
In July 2024 I had the privilege of being taken to visit the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps in Poland. As someone who has always enjoyed history and studied it at GCSE, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was something I knew I couldn't pass up, which I'm glad I didn't. Although we learn about the wars and the Holocaust in depth within school, it's not something you can ever really come to grips with until you're actually standing there.

Walking around Auschwitz, a camp I had learnt about in such great detail, felt surreal. Being able to walk freely in a place where so many lost all their freedom and most lost their lives, is a feeling you can't really describe and it gives you a sense of gratitude for the life we have back home that I may not have had before this trip.

Despite having learnt of the atrocities performed by the Nazis in these camps, seeing all observateurs with belongings of people who actually had to withstand this horrific event is something I will never forget. Walking around both camps gave me a constant and unshakeable feeling of sympathy for the individuals who were so wrongfully killed just for who they were.

Auschwitz in itself was such an amazing yet painful thing to experience as we were able to learn of all the little missions and jobs they had going on in the background that no one seemed to know about, showing how thought out and premeditated Hitler’s scheme really was.

Birkenau on the other hand felt a lot heavier and definitely left a big impact on me. Seeing the lengths these individuals went through to harm others is something many of us can hopefully never relate to.

Although visiting these camps was the main part of the trip, we were also able to observe the town in which these individuals had to leave their whole lives behind, not knowing the horrors that were to come. We visited many sites where original architecture and memorials still stood, allowing us to get a truly authentic image of the town and what went on.

I am extremely thankful I was honoured enough to be a part of this trip as I think it truly is an eye-opener into the things that we turn an eye to within our society and the impacts it has on so many lives, even if it isn't directly our own, and has definitely made me want to advocate and speak out when I feel we aren't doing enough as a society. I believe this is a trip many people would find gratitude in experiencing, and would urge all to take the opportunity if it arises.

January 27th 2025 marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, also known as Holocaust Memorial Day. I believe it is very important that we never forget the pain and suffering caused to the victims of the Holocaust, and at the very least allow their deaths to not be forgotten.

Many thanks to LFA for allowing me to be a part of this experience.