Auschwitz has become synonymous with the mass extermination of European Jews during the Nazi era. And although every school child in Germany is faced with this topic several times in history classes until they graduate, their view of the events of that time usually remains very distanced and impersonal. That is why the focus of this trip was not on simply learning about historical contexts and facts, but above all on personally coming to terms with one’s own family history at the authentic sites.
Before the trip, all participants had studied in detail how their ancestors had been involved in the crimes of National Socialism. The result was personal dismay and a genuine understanding of the past and the future, as well as the strengthening of one’s own position in the face of antisemitism in everyday life.
We have summarized some impressions of the trip in a video.
Here are the various stops of our trip:
Day 1: Arrival from Tübingen to Oswiecim
Day 2: City Tour of Oswiecim
Visit to the former concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Auschwitz Museum in two guided tours
Day 3: Visit of the Exhibition Fountain of Tears
Time to Pray Together
Day 4: Zoom Call with Clila and Hadassa Bau, daughters of two survivors of Plaszow concentration camp
Visit to the former Plaszow concentration camp with guided tour
Free Time in Krakow
Day 5: Guided Tour of Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter in Krakow
Meeting with Singing and Dancing in the Temple Synagogue in Kazimierz
