Located at Oswiecim in Poland, Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest of the concentration camps of World War II. Established in mid-1940, by 1942 it had become the biggest death camp under the Nazis. It is estimated that between 1.1 and 1.5 million victims died here.
The Victims
Throughout its existence it functioned as a concentration camp. Initially, the inhabitants were Poles who had been part of the Polish intelligentsia, as well as other political, spiritual and important figures.
However, as the war progressed, prisoners from other occupied countries began arriving at the camp. According to figures from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum which now stands on the site, around 400,000 people were kept in the camp at one time.
Of these, 200,000 were Jews, 140,000 were Poles, and around 20,000 were Gypsies from various countries. In addition, there were approximately 10,000 Soviet prisoners of war and 10,000 prisoners of other nationalities.
It is estimated that around 50 per cent of these registered prisoners died from starvation, exhaustion, disease, inhuman living conditions, torture or criminal medical experiments.
Structure
At its peak, the camp comprised three parts. The oldest, Auschwitz I, was constructed in the buildings of pre-war Polish barracks and housed between 15,000 and 20,000 inmates.
Auschwitz II, the second camp at Birkenau, held over 90,000 prisoners in 1944 and was the largest part of the complex. The majority of the mass exterminations took place here.
The third part, Auschwitz III, was made up of some 40 sub-camps in the area. This part held 10,000 prisoners.
Gas Chambers
There were a number of gas chambers and crematoriums around the complex where Jews, Gypsies and prisoners of war were gassed and then cremated. When Auschwitz-Birkenau began functioning as an extermination camp in early 1942, hundreds of thousands of prisoners were killed here without being registered.
They were taken straight from the trains and brought to the gas chambers - selection procedures targeted those who were considered unfit to work, including the infirm or elderly and children and pregnant women.
The camp was liberated in January 1945 by Red Army soldiers and the few thousand remaining prisoners were set free. Today, a museum and memorial mark its site.
How to get there
The memorial is accessible from Krakow hostels; the city is located just 60 kilometres from the camp, making it the gateway to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Before settling down and becoming a copywriter for HostelBookers, Paul Scottyn travelled extensively and stayed in numerous Krakow hostels and had time to visit the memorial.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Scottyn
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Book Review - Kent Johnson - Lyric Poetry After Auschwitz
Duncan and Levertov had a falling out over Levertov's anti-Vietnam poetry. He argued he wasn't against 'political' poetry, but he believed Levertov's anti-war poetry fell short because the speaker was outside of what she/he was critiquing. Kent's poems do a great job of asking how poetry matters in a time of war (not to be confused with Gioia's book). He takes to task people and poets who attempt a self-righteous outsider stance (i.e. Berstein's reaction to Sam Hamill's Poets Against the War site (and anthology).
Berstein complains of the self-righteous stance of poems with unquestioning political content (perhaps in a similar way to Duncan back in the day). But the irony of his own self-righteous stance (the moral presumptions of poems with overtly political content) is not discussed or acknowledged. Bernstein is a very intelligent man and perhaps is aware of this. But I think it is very healthy to challenge this assumption and re-open the debate of poetry in a time of war (even if it means losing good friends much like Duncan lost the close friendship of Levertov).
Another aspect of Lyric Poetry After Auschwitz that I find compelling is how the poems feel lived/experienced. I know Kent was/is not a soldier in Iraq etc but I get a sense of lived experience in the poems. Perhaps Kent has experienced some of the horrors of war? I think I remember reading (was it in Lyric Poetry After Auschwitz? that he witnessed a bit of literal war.
The book is very consistent in its call for an honest look at ourselves as writers and persons. How the poems are constructed are not neglected for 'content.' Kent/the speaker walks a razor-thin tightrope between nihilism and hope as did all the great post of European existentialists.
All I can say is thank you. I really needed this book right now. It is an ongoing struggle to unite life/art, the common failure of the avant garde. Kent continues this vital and always unfinished project of the avant garde.
WILFRED JOHN
BOOK REVIEW
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wilfred_John
Wilfred John - EzineArticles Expert Author
Berstein complains of the self-righteous stance of poems with unquestioning political content (perhaps in a similar way to Duncan back in the day). But the irony of his own self-righteous stance (the moral presumptions of poems with overtly political content) is not discussed or acknowledged. Bernstein is a very intelligent man and perhaps is aware of this. But I think it is very healthy to challenge this assumption and re-open the debate of poetry in a time of war (even if it means losing good friends much like Duncan lost the close friendship of Levertov).
Another aspect of Lyric Poetry After Auschwitz that I find compelling is how the poems feel lived/experienced. I know Kent was/is not a soldier in Iraq etc but I get a sense of lived experience in the poems. Perhaps Kent has experienced some of the horrors of war? I think I remember reading (was it in Lyric Poetry After Auschwitz? that he witnessed a bit of literal war.
The book is very consistent in its call for an honest look at ourselves as writers and persons. How the poems are constructed are not neglected for 'content.' Kent/the speaker walks a razor-thin tightrope between nihilism and hope as did all the great post of European existentialists.
All I can say is thank you. I really needed this book right now. It is an ongoing struggle to unite life/art, the common failure of the avant garde. Kent continues this vital and always unfinished project of the avant garde.
WILFRED JOHN
BOOK REVIEW
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wilfred_John
Wilfred John - EzineArticles Expert Author
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Once Golden, Again Golden Poland
From a global and historic perspective is seems as though Poland had reached its golden era around the 16th century during the wealthy and powerful Jagiellonian Dynasty and that it has been largely downhill ever since. The Polish have taken a tremendous beating during the second 500 years of their existence but have had remarkable and admirable success pulling their vast and stunningly beautiful land back together to make up today’s modern Third Republic. Travel to Poland to experience fast-pasted cosmopolitan centers like Krakow, rewind in time in the horse-and-carriage countryside or lose yourself completely in one of the forested national parks.
Poland, Pillage and Plunder
Whether Poland has been synonymous with bridge or battlefield to its surrounding neighbors, the results have not been pleasant. As early as the 13th century, Polish states were ravaged by Mongolian raiders due to the lack of natural boundaries and its strategic position between east and west, which would again become a curse during the World Wars and the Cold War. There were few cities that emerged from WWII unscathed, but the baffling restorative reconstruction has left even the locals duped by the perfectly replicated Baroque and Gothic architecture. Thriving cities like Krakow and Warsaw are hubs of both traditional and modern Poland, showcasing contemporary art, classic jazz and an unfettered youthful spirit. Auschwitz Nazi Concentration Camp and Holocaust Museum is located just outside Krakow, which became the epicenter for the Nazi battle against Europe’s Jews. Also in this area is a World Heritage Site known as Southern Little Poland where an enchanting collection of medieval wooden churches still stand among the Carpathian Mountains.
Hillside, Countryside, Seaside
Poland has a unique draw due to its positioning on the Baltic Sea and its shared borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia. Poland today is finally the more tranquil, dynamic and cheaper cousin of its neighbors. Visit the Great Mazury Lake District in the northeast where nearly 15% of the area is covered by pristine lakes and canals, dotted with picturesque villages. This is a haven for cycling, canoeing and hiking. Don’t miss the 13th century Malbork Castle, the headquarters for the Order of the Teutonic Knights, which holds the title as the largest medieval castle in Europe. Then, as you find your way to some of the Baltic seaside resorts, stop along the coast in Gdansk, the historic medieval Hanseatic trading city that was perfectly restored in the 20th century. While you make your way east to visit Bialowieski National Park in order to see Europe’s last surviving native Bison, stop in the 14th century town of Torun to pay homage to Nicolaus Copernicus’ place of birth. For skiing and hiking, the Sudeten Mountain Range winds through part of southern Poland, including the popular escapes in the Tetra Mountains.
Although the ravages of the 20th century are behind Poland, they are certainly not out of mind. The Polish have a blossoming culture that emerged vehemently from the violence and repression of the Cold War. The reactive and eager populace finally has found a place to shine artistically, politically (as part of NATO and the EU) and domestically with open arms to those curious about the Polish way of life. Travel to Poland and discover a proud and established nation that is equally as excited to finally welcome you!
For more information, visit http://www.cfares.com.
Poland, Pillage and Plunder
Whether Poland has been synonymous with bridge or battlefield to its surrounding neighbors, the results have not been pleasant. As early as the 13th century, Polish states were ravaged by Mongolian raiders due to the lack of natural boundaries and its strategic position between east and west, which would again become a curse during the World Wars and the Cold War. There were few cities that emerged from WWII unscathed, but the baffling restorative reconstruction has left even the locals duped by the perfectly replicated Baroque and Gothic architecture. Thriving cities like Krakow and Warsaw are hubs of both traditional and modern Poland, showcasing contemporary art, classic jazz and an unfettered youthful spirit. Auschwitz Nazi Concentration Camp and Holocaust Museum is located just outside Krakow, which became the epicenter for the Nazi battle against Europe’s Jews. Also in this area is a World Heritage Site known as Southern Little Poland where an enchanting collection of medieval wooden churches still stand among the Carpathian Mountains.
Hillside, Countryside, Seaside
Poland has a unique draw due to its positioning on the Baltic Sea and its shared borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia. Poland today is finally the more tranquil, dynamic and cheaper cousin of its neighbors. Visit the Great Mazury Lake District in the northeast where nearly 15% of the area is covered by pristine lakes and canals, dotted with picturesque villages. This is a haven for cycling, canoeing and hiking. Don’t miss the 13th century Malbork Castle, the headquarters for the Order of the Teutonic Knights, which holds the title as the largest medieval castle in Europe. Then, as you find your way to some of the Baltic seaside resorts, stop along the coast in Gdansk, the historic medieval Hanseatic trading city that was perfectly restored in the 20th century. While you make your way east to visit Bialowieski National Park in order to see Europe’s last surviving native Bison, stop in the 14th century town of Torun to pay homage to Nicolaus Copernicus’ place of birth. For skiing and hiking, the Sudeten Mountain Range winds through part of southern Poland, including the popular escapes in the Tetra Mountains.
Although the ravages of the 20th century are behind Poland, they are certainly not out of mind. The Polish have a blossoming culture that emerged vehemently from the violence and repression of the Cold War. The reactive and eager populace finally has found a place to shine artistically, politically (as part of NATO and the EU) and domestically with open arms to those curious about the Polish way of life. Travel to Poland and discover a proud and established nation that is equally as excited to finally welcome you!
For more information, visit http://www.cfares.com.
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For international travel and discount airfare, visit www.cfares.com.
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