The Modern Fate Of Auschwitz

[Ryan.]

Link to BBC website.Two historians present their views on this.

Number one suggests that it should be preserved as long as there is still an Auschwitz survivor alive, and then left to decay and be repossessed by nature.

Number two wants it to be left and maintained forever as a grim reminder of one of history's darkest hours.

I can understand both sides. It is obviously important to remember the Holocaust and the gravity of the atrocities committed. No generation must ever grow up and not know about it.

However, I will add that I don't think there is a huge danger of that being forgotten. The Holocaust is probably the most well known historical event worldwide.

The people who have visited that camp describe it as a life altering experience, it certainly made me look differently on life when i went, realizing the scale of what was done there. This should also be taken into consideration.

But I also understand the other side.

One the one hand, there is the questionable but eventually inevitable process of maintaining and rebuilding parts of the camp, which would become necessary if it is to survive.

It's easy to understand why people would have objections to renewing the architecture of this place of death.

Also, letting the natural surroundings reclaim the area has a powerful symbolic value. The idea that the greatest human tragedies will pass and the damage heal is understandably attractive.

That would be a lengthy but natural process of the camp slowly being covered with new life, as years and decades pass.

Altogether, I'm undecided. Thoughts?

Edited January 29, 2009 by Ryan.

[NVWOCI WVS]

Number two wants it to be left and maintained forever as a grim reminder of one of history's darkest hours.

I think it's a really important monument, which needs to be maintained as a reminder of what really happened. If all the war monuments were left to decay, a few generations down the line everything will be allowed to be forgotten.

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

what's the holocaust?

[UrbanPoet]

Something bad that happened ages ago, I think it was in the 80's or something.

[ogre]

i've not been to auschwitz, but its on my to do list. there is a jewish history museum in berlin which deals with the holocaust in a freindlier(?) manner, but i'd hate to miss out on seeing such a place in person.

[trials_pimp]

I can understand How Bad the Holocaust Was, and whys its Significance should never be forgotern. But I dont get why People think it was the Worst thing to ever Happen and All Germans at the Time were Evil.

Yes they did do alot wrong, and the GEnocide of a Race of people would never have worked. Having Been to the Haulcoaust Exibition ive seen as close as I can (without being alive then) what happened there and what was done.

But some of the Work Pales in Comparison to what the Japaneese were doing to the Chineese Before WW2 and To the Americans During. The Japaneese tourtured and killed for sport, they raped, pillaged and experimented on the Chineese while they Invaded their Contry and Took over 95% of it in the Most 1 sided Battles ever recorded. Yet No one really cared becasue it was Too Far Away, and the Allied Nations Couldnt be botered to sent troops to save the Chineese no matter how much they begged for Help. Yet Hitler Invaded a small European Contry, only Killing 5 or 6 people to do so and was instantly decleared war Apon. And this was Before the "Jewish Problem" plans were drawn up.

Also once USA Had declared war on Japan (for the Wrong reasons) the Japaneese Tourtured American POWs Just as Bad.

Iwo Jimna Camp had one of the Worst Tourture Reputations of the American Campaign. Japaneese Soldiers Would March American Troops 2 Miles, with heavy Loads, after they havent been fed for weeks, and if one fell due to exhaustion he was beaten and left to die on the Floor. And when Senior Officers tried to help their fallen Men, they were beaten and Forced to March on.

They also Used an Awfull technique Called the Water Tourture. They would force Soldiers to drink Water untill they were physicly Swollen from it, then Jump on their Stomaches until it exploded.

Yet no one has Ever Labeled the Japaneese Like they have the Germans.

Also Take the Russians, they had such a blood lust after Hitler turned on them that they forced Men and Childern to Fight in Un-winnable situations. Anyone caught retreating, no matter what was shot. The Russian Tactic was to keep sending men in until the Germans Ran Out of Ammo, they would brutally Murder Any Germans they came Across, no matter if they were a soldier or not.

The Halocaust Claimed Approx 6 million People, and this is said to be to worst tragedy ever. Yet Russia Lost 11 Million Men and Childern in the Attack On Germany Allone. This doent Include the Rest of the war.

Hitler was Said to be the Worst Man Ever to live, yet He never Killed anyone in the 2nd World War, and alot of the Killing of Jews was Carried out un-autherised by other Nazi Armies. Hitler Simply created a scapegoat out of the Jews for the State Germany was in after WW1. I dont see how thats any different to Bush Creating a scapegoat out of the Muslims for 911. Just that modern socity would never allow Bush to Build comcentraion camps, Just Quantanimo Bay.

I am in no way stating that the Holcaust was "nothing", exactly the Oposite. Just that I feel it wasnt the Be all and end alll of attrocities during WW2

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

Lee is bang on the mark, the russians/japanese got up to some really f**ked up shit in manchuria early on in the century, but very few people know of it because hitler is your 'boil in the bag' evil dictator for every purpose.

then again you don't get many kids called chairman anymore...

[Rich Pearson]

I think places like Aushwitz, Treblinka and Mittlebau should be left to nature. The ruins of these places will never be a recognised monument to suffering but only serve as grains of salt in open wounds of peoples memories, so long as people continue to maintain the facilities.

On a separate topic, its actually politically and grammatically incorrect to say "THE holocaust" as there were several holocausts throughout the second world war and indeed the general histroy of war; we all just choose to remember this one.

Meh...

Rich

[manuel]

knock it down and build something useful on it.

Ive been told my opinions on subjects like this are pretty contro but... The events have been noted down in the history books. If I want to learn about it I can read about it. Why should I have to remember this (in a memorial way) ? Or in fact similar events ? I know right from wrong - I dont murder kill etc - I live in a world where I dont have to go to war if I dont want to - and definitely wont get shot for not going. I am proud of my grandparents for fighting in WW2 - they are brave as f**k. But I hate the commemorative days for WW1 and WW2 - why not have a day for every war where someone died? Why are the people who fought and died in WW1 / 2 more important than those who died in other wars etc ? Its a load.

Learn from your mistakes dont dwell on them. In 100 years what is the point of a memorial day for WW1 or 2 ? nobody alive will have any connection to it whatsoever.

/contro

[MadManMike]

I would say preserve it, it's part of history. Even though it's grim history, it's something that has contributed to how the world is today - it's good that future generations learn about what happened.

I'd like to visit it one day too!

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

They could always turn it into a theme park.

[Prawny Baby]

I say keep it open!

We're bound to need it again one day if numbers get too high....

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

I'll never forgive the germans for what they did to my great grandad in that place

passed over for promotion time and time again...

[Matthew_Gibson]

I say keep it open!

We're bound to need it again one day if numbers get too high....

there's always one..

I would say its doing know one any harm now.

[TheCircus]

AUSCHWITZ!

THE MEANING OF PAIN!

[Mtchell]

I believe auswich should be maintained to remind us how evil man kind can be, And so any such events should never be allow again.

I,ve been told by a work college who has visited the place theres a deadly silence surrounding the place and even the birds don't make a sound ?? .

I don't how true this is like,

But it should be kept and maintained where all equal and are free to live our lives without fear, and the world went to war to prove this.

Edited February 1, 2009 by Mtchell

[Tomm]

The Halocaust Claimed Approx 6 million People, and this is said to be to worst tragedy ever. Yet Russia Lost 11 Million Men and Childern in the Attack On Germany Allone. This doent Include the Rest of the war.

Surely soldiers getting killed attacking another country can't be compared to the indiscriminate slaughter of man, woman and child, purely on the basis of the race they were born into? It doesn't matter what the numbers are, killing people on the basis of something they can't control (I.e. their own race) is utterly wrong.

Ive been told my opinions on subjects like this are pretty contro but... The events have been noted down in the history books. If I want to learn about it I can read about it. Why should I have to remember this (in a memorial way) ? Or in fact similar events ?

If people had never heard of the holocaust, don't you think it's more likely that a similar event would happen again? History repeats itself. It would be pretty neat if this particular slice of history didn't...

The holocaust represents all that was awful about Hitler's rise pre-WW2. It's not just the burning/gassing of millions (that was pretty bad), but the fact that a whole nation allowed it! Ordinary people like you and me got caught up in a whirlwind of hype and actually wanted to see Jews killed. It wasn't just one nutter and a killing spree, far from it.

Some history teacher in America did an experiment and in just four days managed to convince a class of high-school students that they were superior to other students in the school. It's worth reading about because it shows how powerful a group mentality can be.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Wave

[trials_pimp]

Most Germans Didnt Know About the Halocuast.

They did get Made to belive that Jews Were the Reason that Germany was on the Verge of collapse after WW1 (this was Actually Britain, France and Americas Fault).

Yet they were led to belive that Jew were just being removed from Germany, Not Slaughtered and Experimented on.

When America Liberated their 1st Camp, Eisenhower actually Forced 1000s of German Citizens to veiw the camps before they were Cleaned up to see what had been done in their Name.

Suffice to say thats when Most Germans Turned on the Nazi Regime and actully helped Allied Forces Reach the Reichtag.

[manuel]

Surely soldiers getting killed attacking another country can't be compared to the indiscriminate slaughter of man, woman and child, purely on the basis of the race they were born into? It doesn't matter what the numbers are, killing people on the basis of something they can't control (I.e. their own race) is utterly wrong.

If people had never heard of the holocaust, don't you think it's more likely that a similar event would happen again? History repeats itself. It would be pretty neat if this particular slice of history didn't...

The holocaust represents all that was awful about Hitler's rise pre-WW2. It's not just the burning/gassing of millions (that was pretty bad), but the fact that a whole nation allowed it! Ordinary people like you and me got caught up in a whirlwind of hype and actually wanted to see Jews killed. It wasn't just one nutter and a killing spree, far from it.

Some history teacher in America did an experiment and in just four days managed to convince a class of high-school students that they were superior to other students in the school. It's worth reading about because it shows how powerful a group mentality can be.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Wave

You get me wrong ... The halocaust happened. It was bad. People will learn about it in school as part of history lessons etc. I dont think it will ever be 100% forgotten. But the world goes on - so why do we need a personal style rememberance day/thing for it ? I just think that there have been bad things happen all throughout history and if we celebrated them all every day would be depressing and dull. I have faith in the world, and that in generall (hmm maybe just europe) we are progressing toward not trying to rule the world and killing everybody with a different opinion.

and surely the soldiers killed in defence of the germans in WW2 had no choice ? so how is that any different to those that were killed in the gas chambers ? Dying because you live somewhere someone else wants versus dying because someone else doesnt like you ?

[JD™]

AUSCHWITZ!

THE MEANING OF PAIN!

Welcome back

[Tomm]

Most Germans Didnt Know About the Halocuast.

That's sort of what I was saying though. The actual gassing of Jews wasn't really the worst part of it - It was the fact that a whole nation turned against EVERYONE of a given race.

and surely the soldiers killed in defence of the germans in WW2 had no choice ? so how is that any different to those that were killed in the gas chambers ?

I know what you're saying, and I feel the same - dying to protect a bit of land which has been arbitrarily demarcated is stupid IMO. And I know a lot of the soldiers didn't have much choice in the matter either, but a soldier dying in battle is not the same as killing whole families based on the shape of their nose...

[Pashley26]

I think Auschwitz should be be kept open as a monument to the triumph of allied forces over far superior opposition, fighting for what is right to save the rest of the world. A real life "good will out", as such.

The German Army in times of the Third Reich were far in advance of us in terms of equipment and aspects of battle strategy. But they made stupid mistakes at the wrong times, and the undying fight in the allied forces made the exploitation of these mistakes costly. Places of historical and moral value should be preserved as a memorial to all of those that fought and died fighting for what is right.

Edited February 1, 2009 by Pashley26