Auschwitz
70 years Later
I just finished watching on History Channel an hour long special about a Auschwitz Survivor named Kitty Hart-Moxon.70 years ago on January 27th, 1945. First it takes a lot of courage for someone to return to a place that was filled of such devastation and where horrific inhuman acts against people happened. She took two 15-17 year old girls with her, because she wanted to show them how she was living when she was 17 herself. So imagine being a teenager.. when most fun things are supposed to be experienced in life.. but you couldn't because you were in a Concentration Camp...
She talked about how her brother fled to Russia, but was asked to fight with Poland, and he was killed while fighting. So it was only her mother, father, grandmother and herself. Priests would forge documents for people. But this led to her family documents being found to not be true. They were arrested and taken to Auschwitz, there was a Firing Range Execution (this was when the SS would line the people up and just shot to kill, many died this way). She was told that they would not be killed and sent to life in prison.
She discussed how late is was at night when they arrived at Auschwitz, and that her and her mother were talking about the smell in the air at Auschwitz...and asking why they would be cooking chicken so late at night. ( I mean we're all smart here people...it is probably safe to assume we know what they were talking about).
The men, women, elderly, woman with children were immediately separated. The women with children and the elderly were taken to the gas chambers right away. If a child looked strong and healthy they would not send them to gas chambers, instead keep them for hard labour. She goes on to say that once that separation was done they were taken away and stripped of everything. Clothes, jewellery, shows, and had their heads shaved. The people were given clogs to wear, and a bowl (which was used for not only their food, but also to use as a toilet- Now.. imagine the fact that they would have to use a bowl they eat from to go to the bathroom in....and not be able to clean it properly...FIRST: THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH ANY OF THIS AT ALL IN FIRST PLACE....ESPECIALLY THIS USING THIS BOWL FOR THESE 2 THINGS!!). The SS just didn't care...NO one, except for the survivors will ever know what they had to go through, but to know that other human beings....just didn't care....it infuriates me, it makes me so mad at humanity...HOW DARE THEY!!!
They were stripped of all they had left in life and given a tattoo...a number...that's what they had left was a number on their arm...no identity.....no name....just a number.
She goes on to talk about how they had to resort to animal instinct. They had to get away from the predators and those that would kill them. The sheds that they lived in were made for 52 horses, but were filled with 1,000 people each....Mud was everywhere-there was no grass.. if they found grass, they ate it. They were starved and overworked, and a lot of people would collapse and die and other people that were in the camp would have to move these bodies and just piled up on top of each other.
The next time we all think "If I don't eat soon, I'll just die..." just STOP yourself and think about what the people in Auschwitz went through.
"Selection" happened all the time, everyday. Where the guards and SS would just take people and kill them. There was a place called "KANADA" where all the belongings- suitcases, clothes, shoes, jewellery, money, etc would be put, and some of the people in the camp would be ordered to go through everything and sort it, they had a quota to fill-if you didn't complete it you were punished. if you were caught taking any thing you were killed. They used money they found within the belongings as toilet paper.
By 1944 all four gas chambers were running at their full capacity. People were "herded" into the gas chambers. Once in the gas chamber they were told to hang up their clothes and coats, because they would get their clothes back. Which was a lie, because once they were in there an SS would put a gas mask on and throw in the gas. Kitty said that all you could hear was the screaming and crying from the people in the gas chambers and within twenty minutes nothing....silence....and they knew those people would not be returning....they were in fact murdered.. After this the SS guards would go through the bodies and ashes to look for anything the people might have ingested (like jewellery) and take it. Then their ashes were put into the pond in the back of the buildings. She said that the pond is their cemetery, is their final resting place.
Her mother and she were let go...they were transferred to the main camp and from there were put on a cattle truck and let go. They then had to go through six more camps before they were finally liberated.
Them, alongside with others being liberated was such an amazing thing to happen, however.... They all then had to come to terms with everything they have lost. Their Families, Friends, Homes, Personal Belongings, and Their Souls....and they had to attempt to have go on and live their lives.
Imagine having everything you have in life...including you identity....who you are...your soul even....taken from you, and to be put through such horrific situations and watching those around you suffer. For anyone who survived this, I applaud you.
Her story: Should be a reminder to all of us, that is DOES NOT matter what colour your eyes, your hair or your skin is...WE are all human. WE all have hearts, minds and souls....and THIS is what should truly matter!!!
Thank you for reading....
Please comment, link it, send it around...WE need to STOP hating on each other even 70 years later!!
~M~
