With everything happening in the world right now, I had expressed the intent to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau last year as had never been able to visit before moving back to Greece as a teenager. That idea seemed to resonate with some of my friends, so a small travelling group of 5 folks crystallized pretty soon. Last Sunday we drove from Berlin to Kraków and spent four nights there, visiting the German concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau as well as the city of Kraków. Auschwitz was the anticipated harrowing and gut-wrenching experience, especially in the light of the current political situation and the continuous the rise of fascism and autocratic regimes around the world.
„It happened, therefore it can happen again“ rings so much truer today, 80 years after the defeat of fascist Germany. There are no words for the sorrow and pain I felt in that place, not only for the past, but also for our future and our ability to learn and evolve.
To counterbalance this onslaught of emotions, we spent the remaining days visiting Kraków, which is absolutely lovely. The city has a beautiful little medieval city core and a gorgeous Jewish quarter that is giving huge 2000s Berlin vibes with bars and cafés… We had some pretty amazing food and I had the best bowl of ramen I had in a long while, which was unexpected.
So do yourself a favour if haven’t done it: If you’re able to, visit Auschwitz. Let it sink in. Face reality of what people are capable of. But also do something nice with your loved ones. Then go and try to make the world a little better. That’d be nice.
I hope we can aknowledge the despair and sorrow in the world without allowing it to take over every moment of our lives.