Would you want to visit a Nazi Concentration camp?

[Corny]

^Nobody who ever was at Auschwitz would write such a thing.

[Ekim23]

in Europe it's very common to go visit nazi concentration camp as part of our school program.

So Yes I've been there, and yes it's weird & sad, it's part of the world's history.

[tombastep]

Sorry, but I don't see how to interpret this in any other way than 'tourist attraction'.

I don't think he considers Auschwitz a "tourist attraction" as much as he is saying that it is horrifying that people do. Example by this statement in this article.

http://www.philly.com/philly/travel/...Auschwitz.html

"Mass tourism here is a good thing," says Andrew Klosinski, a Polish guide for Odysseys Unlimited, the operator of our small group tour. "The more people who come here, the better. There are no longer survivors to tell their stories. Teenagers today have only secondhand information, and it is so easy to forget." Eyeing a swelling crowd pushing beneath the iron entrance gates, he adds: "The horrors of this place are unbelievable. The only thing worse would be to forget them."

And the OP made this thread because of this article.

[pat grimshaw]

It gets a 7 on the list of Poland's Top Ten Tourist Attractions

http://www.staypoland.com/poland-attractions.htm

[Rickrock]

No, I had a chance and I passed it up because I had heard that it is very sad, depressing, and emotional to see it. I was on vacation and wanted to enjoy myself. I sometimes wonder if I should have seen it. I understand that there are pictures of items taken from the victims, lists of names, etc and the enormity of it reaches you when words cannot. It should never be forgotten.

[Corny]

It's a tourist attraction because it attracts tourists. That doesn't mean it's a joyful or over-commercialized place.

[gsdx]

And the OP made this thread because of this article.

And I was supposed to know this how? Sorry, but I flunked Mindreading 101.

The fact is that he said he had the chance to go and declined because he has "personal ethics about exploitation and voyeurism in regards to these kinds of things. I find the whole process of tourism to cites of atrocities horrifying."

He called it a tourist attraction. I didn't.

[quasar]

I visited Auschwitz when I went to Europe after high school. It's a very odd place. Peaceful, quiet, and sad.

One of my friends visited, and the one thing that struck her was that despite there being trees fairly close by - there were no birds. She said it was like even nature was aware that something awful had happened there. She was extremely moved by the experience.

This piece of music, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs by Polish composer, Henryk Górecki, was performed and recorded in Auschwitz.

The most famous segment of the symphony is the second movement, Lento e Largo. The lyrics were found written on the walls of a Gestapo prison cell.

It is probably one of the most haunting pieces of music that you'll ever hear in your life:

I can recall listening to this constantly when I first bought the CD. Amazing piece.

As for the article mentioned by the OP, I imagine that while we've all seen the images on TV, it's one of those places that, until you've visited it, you can't quite comprehend the sheer scale of the operation. I've seen the BBC series 'Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution' several times, and each time I've been left incredulous that it happened. You'd think that after that, mankind wouldn't let it happen again, but we have and it does - albeit on a smaller scale - so we've learned nothing about ethnic and racial cleansing...

[tombastep]

And I was supposed to know this how? Sorry, but I flunked Mindreading 101.

I didn't say you were, I was using the article to point out that was where the OP was coming from and as an example as to what I am assuming ashonfire actually meant.

The fact is that he said he had the chance to go and declined because he has "personal ethics about exploitation and voyeurism in regards to these kinds of things. I find the whole process of tourism to cites of atrocities horrifying."

He called it a tourist attraction. I didn't.

He already stated that he never intended to imply that. So obviously he isn't actually calling it a tourist attraction. So the only problem here is that you're re-implying that is what he meant and said.

[rareboy]

Well.

As someone who has visited them.

Let me tell you it is not voyeurism.

It is not tourism.

It is a reminder of the banality of evil. Of how criminals can gain control of the state and perpetrate crimes beyond imagining. All with the help of a well organized mind of an architect and the means provided by industry.

It is an object lesson in how humans cynically work to de-humanize their fellow humans...to reduce them to sub-human...to create an 'other' sub-group, whether Jews or homosexuals or gypsies and to convince otherwise sane and rational middle class people to buy into the notion of man and super man.

I have been there and my heart still aches from the experience.

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

Well.

As someone who has visited them.

Let me tell you it is not voyeurism.

It is not tourism.

It is a reminder of the banality of evil. Of how criminals can gain control of the state and perpetrate crimes beyond imagining. All with the help of a well organized mind of an architect and the means provided by industry.

It is an object lesson in how humans cynically work to de-humanize their fellow humans...to reduce them to sub-human...to create an 'other' sub-group, whether Jews or homosexuals or gypsies and to convince otherwise sane and rational middle class people to buy into the notion of man and super man.

I have been there and my heart still aches from the experience.

object lesson doodoo
ans dehumanize go on everyday world ova ta da happy pap of Apublic goin ooh fa eons
tourism wit da voys ans etc

sorry it recorded worlds awsum folk runnin da play cultures up ta second no even human

there go

thankyou

[refujiunderground]

honestly, there's a lot of places that i've been to where horrible things have happened to people but i have no choice but to pass through there for example: ground zero/the world trade center. sure, i would go to visit. if i thought like how you're thinking where i wouldn't go to somewhere where people have got murdered, died in car wrecks, tragedies happened and etc, i wouldn't leave home. there's plenty of places where people have died, horrific things have happened and you wouldn't even know.

[72-Jay]

There are a couple places here that have had murders (one was big news when it happened back a number of years ago) i wouldn't go in those buildings (and yes I've had the chance to do so)...

If for some reason I was ever in NY I'd be ok with ground zero/world trade center (but lets say it had been a mass-murder and the building survived..deff wouldn't go in)

[Ryuukie]

And I was supposed to know this how? Sorry, but I flunked Mindreading 101.

The fact is that he said he had the chance to go and declined because he has "personal ethics about exploitation and voyeurism in regards to these kinds of things. I find the whole process of tourism to cites of atrocities horrifying."

He called it a tourist attraction. I didn't.

Huh? I thought I was the original poster since I started the thread. It was based on an article I read in the Travel section of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

[yhtang]

One of my friends visited, and the one thing that struck her was that despite there being trees fairly close by - there were no birds. She said it was like even nature was aware that something awful had happened there. She was extremely moved by the experience.

Now that you mention it, that was what that was missing. I visited Dachau many years ago. It was a bright and sunny day, cloudless, and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue. Yet, somehow, when I stepped into the compound, I felt a strange chill in my body. And it was very quiet, no sound of birds or any other animals/insects.

[PeterJ]

I'm from Belgium and when I was 15 we had a 'Nazi-Week' at school. Where we saw documentaries and movies like 'Schindler's List', we also went to Breendonk (a little Auschwitz in Belgium), and visit lots of museums in Belgium and Germany. I personally think that every 15-16year old should experience such a week. It made me more mature, made me respect others and most of all you learn about the value of life. I still get emotional thinking about it.

[operafan]

The Gorecki video: I've not seen this video of the second movement. It was lovely. Thanks for posting. I have the Dawn Upshaw version which is strikingly beautiful.