Bye Bye Germany, see you soon!

The bus ride was very pleasant and comfortable, everyone had their own seat, delicious snacks and the climate was perfect.

The atmosphere was great, while some people managed to catch up on a few hours of sleep.

We took regular breaks, got some fresh air, and stretched our legs.

only 45 minutes left

until we finally see our

exchange partners again :)

A lot to catch up on with our exchange partner who have become close friends.

We took our luggage and met up with our guest parents.

After that most of the students went out to grab some dinner after the long ride.

Everyone was excited what the following week will bring…

After the sightseeing, we had some free time. We went together to a restaurant, where we enjoyed delicious pierogi, and then we explored the city center of Łódź on our own.

Across Auschwiz 2- Birkenau and Auschwiz 1, we saw many memorial stones placed throughout the grounds. They honor the victims and remind us of the lives taken through the misuse of power. They also carry a clear message: the future depends on on our choices.

A central memorial was an urn symbolizing all those reduced to ashes. It stood quietly, but carried a strong meaning of dignity for those who were never given a proper burial.

The Book of names was especially emotional ... A massive record of known victims. Each name represents a real person, not a number and makes the scale of loss deeply personal.

The wall of photographs showed families, friends and prisoners before their imrisonment. Before they were given prisoner uniforms,which effectively sealed their likely fate of death.

Seeing their faces made it clear that they all once had normal lives, hopes, and a future, as we all do.

Another memorial structure represented different cultural burial tradtitions, symbolizing sorrow that these burials did not take place, symbolizing respect, diversity and shared humanity.

We ended with quotes of prisoners that left a lasting impression. It was a difficult but important reminder of why memory matters.

We than followed the path toward Crematoria 4 and 5, were many victims were sent directly after arriving.

We also learned about the barracks: extreme obercrowding, poor or even no hygiene, almost no water, contaminated washing conditions and minimal food. Five to eight people often shared one bed, sourrounded by disease, fleas, mouse infestation and getting almost no sleep because they had to sleep on bare wooden boards or very thin mattresses, often contaminated with feces due to severe diarrhea caused by starvation.

In one barrack, around 400 humans lived under these impossible conditions.

The vastness of the camp was shown through endless barracks, fences and we could clearly see the remains of many buildings. It was then explained that parts of the camp (most of it) were later bombed and destroyed by the Nazis in an attempt to erase evidence of crime.

A long wall of human hair was especially disturbing, showing how even the last personal dignity was taken away.