Yesterday our group visited a concentration camp in Weimar called Buchenwald. The camp was not what I expected at all, even though I really did not know what to expect. Most of the original buildings from the camp were not there anymore. It would have been interesting to be able to see exactly what the camp looked like when it was actually being used. None of the barracks where left standing.
It’s hard to believe what took place at Buchenwald. I can’t believe that something so horrible could have taken place not so long ago. The place had such a sad, somber feeling to it. I didn’t know if I should take pictures through the camp or not. I also felt like I shouldn’t speak. I felt it would be disrespectful.
For me, the most horrifying part of the camp was the crematorium. There aren’t words to describe the feeling that you get when you walk into the building. On the side of the crematorium there was a chute that was used to put dead bodies down.
The chute led to a basement, which was used to store dead bodies that were waiting to be cremated. I went down in the basement and found there were hooks on the wall. There was a sign that said the hooks where used to strangle over 1,000 people. It was terrifying to be down there and to think about all of the horrible things that happened.
Seeing the concentration camp really affected me. It made me realize how lucky I was. It seemed like none of my own personal problems could come close to the suffering that these poor people had to endure. It made me think, no matter what was going wrong, it could always be worse. It made me thankful for the life that I have.
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