I’ll write more about this soon. I’m still processing what we saw there. It was harshly jarring for my sense of what human beings are capable of doing – not one or a few troubling individuals, but a coordinated secret police force. Truly sobering. The experience was visceral.

The gate door to the camp reads “Arbeit Macht Frei,” which translates as “Works makes one free,” or “work makes you free.” The message was a horrible lie, as were the fake shower heads in the gas chamber there. More on that in a follow-up post.

Learning about the camp is not for a weak stomach. I’m still processing. I think I need to return to my Viktor Frankl and Elie Wiesel books.

With all I’ve known about the camps, I nevertheless experienced a shaking feeling of deep sadness that came from actually being there. At the same time, this is an experience extremely worthwhile, which should never be forgotten or whitewashed. People need to see it and to remember.