Posted on by Mike

Holocaust Memorial Day

Sculpture_-_DachauBack when I was a teenager, and we lived in Germany, we used to take holidays down in Bavaria or Austria. It’s a part of the world I absolutely love with it’s high mountain peaks, thick forests, hidden waterfalls and springs, and amazingly beautiful castles and towns.

It’s also a place where they don’t hide away from the horrors that came out of the region before and during World War 2. The rise of Hitler and the Nazis, the “hideaway” of the Eagles Nest at Berchtesgaden, and the concentration camp at Dachau.

It’s 70 years since the liberation of the camp at Auschwitz-Berkenau, and it’s also holocaust memorial day, and that always makes me remember the time that we went to Dachau.

Outside the gates of the camp you can hear the sounds of traffic driving by, birds chirping in the trees and children laughing and playing. Walk through the gates and it’s as if the very horrors of the events there cancel out all noise so that there’s utter silence. No cars, no birds, no laughter, even babies stopped crying. You are suddenly and brutally hit with the very nature of evil as you enter the camp and there were several people around us who cried just from entering – a sentiment I can fully understand, and I would probably do the same if I were to revisit today now that I understand more.

The Germans themselves carried around the shame of that time with openness, humility, shame and a deep sorrow that runs deeper than I think any of us can imagine. But they are also a proud people, and in their openness they show themselves to be strong in their resolve to ensure that such events do not happen again and to also show that these were atrocities committed by a different generation, and not reflecive of the people now.

Walking around the camp was an assault in the way that your senses, emotions, preconceptions and humanity were confronted with the pain of human suffering on the one hand, and the depths of human depravity on the other. That it is possible for one human being to commit such acts against another defies all humanity and you want to cry out that surely nobody could do such things – except you can’t as the evidence is there before you in the accomodation blocks, the work areas and the “shower” blocks.

At the end of the tour was a museum with diaries, personal belongings, photographs and more. Those who hadn’t wept before couldn’t hold back as you saw the mountains of human corpses, the emaciated walking dead, the arrogant and haughty faces of the officers in charge.

For those who were able there was a video reel available to view as you exited the museum. My parents gave me the choice, but I couldn’t face any more and so declined. My dad went in and when he came out he was broken. I’ve never seen such a haunted look on my dads face before or since, and in some ways that really cemented the reality of what we were experiencing.

A couple of weeks ago the BBC ran a drama around the trial of Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects behind the horrors of the camps, and it brought it all flooding back. They included video footage of people and events at Auschwitz, as well as real footage from the trial, and I could do nothing but sit and weep.

On this day I hope that we, the human race, sit up together as one and remember these events. And as we do so, let us all cry out “NO MORE” – and let us all resolve to never forget and to ensure that our children are taught the lessons and the horrors so that they may never be repeated.

 

14,694 Replies to “Holocaust Memorial Day”

  1. Aw, this was a very good post. Finding the time and actual effort to produce a good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a whole lot and don’t seem to get anything done.

  2. Wow that was strange. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say superb blog!

  3. Wow that was strange. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say wonderful blog!

  7. Currently it seems like Movable Type is the top blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?

  9. Salom, yarim yildan beri shu yerda tikaman, shu sababli bir-ikki og’iz yozay dedim. Ochig’i, avvaliga unchalik ishonmagandim — bundan avval ikkita platformada yechib olishda nerv buzilgandi. Bu yerda esa ayni damda meni ortiqcha boshog’riq qilmadi.

    O’yinlar miqdori chindan ham kattagina — hisoblamadim, biroq kamida 7000 dan oshadi. Ko’proq Pragmatic Playning tanish o’yinlarini bosaman: Sweet Bonanza bilan Gates of Olympus. Playn GOdan Book of Dead ham turibdi, NetEntning yaxshi slotlari ham yetarli. Faqat bitta narsa jonimga tegdi — provayder bo’yicha saralash biroz chala, izlagan slotni topmaguncha biroz varaqlaysan.

    Live bo’limi alohida gap. Evolution Gamingning stollari ishlaydi, haqiqiy krupyelar ishtirokida ruletka va blackjack, Crazy Time kabi shou-o’yinlar esa oqshomlari odam ko’p. Aloqam Toshkentda barqaror, shuning uchun uzilish sezmadim, ammo mobil internetda goh-goh sifat pasayadi. Yangi kelganlar uchun birinchi depozitga 100 foizli bonus va 200 bepul spin beriladi, wager 40x ga teng — rostini aytsam bu oson emas, shu bois men bonusni ko’pincha rad etaman. Depozitsiz promo ham chiqib turadi, aktual shartlarni 888starz dan qarab qo’ying.

    Registratsiya bir daqiqada bo’ldi, minimal depozit arzimagan — men 10 000 so’m chamasida boshlagandim. To’lovlarda karta, Skrill, Neteller va kripto ishlaydi. USDT bilan pul olish menda 20-30 daqiqa oldi, kartaga esa bir sutkacha kutdim. Hujjat tekshiruvi so’ralgan edi — pasport surati jo’natdim, tez ko’rib chiqishdi.

    Mobil ilovada o’ynash qulay, Android-ga apk to’g’ridan-to’g’ri yuklab olinadi, sayt versiyasi ham yaxshi ishlaydi. Support chatda rus tilida tez javob beradi, o’zbek tilida bo’lsa har doim topilmaydi — aynan shu joyi ozgina yoqmadi. Litsenziyasi Kyurasao, ya’ni O’zbekistonda rasmiy tartibga solinmagan — buni yodda tuting. O’zim oyiga qancha o’ynashimni oldindan belgilab olaman va shundan oshirmayman.

  11. Crown Gold Exchange seems to be a trusted choice in Garden City and Boise for selling gold jewelry. Fair offers and no-appointment service make the process easy. ##anyKeyword##

  14. At this time it looks like Drupal is the best blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?

  19. Hey there, You have performed an excellent job. I will certainly digg it and for my part suggest to my friends. I’m confident they will be benefited from this site.

  25. A detached dwelling is a standalone residential structure that offers privacy and independence, making it a popular choice for homeowners. Unlike attached homes such as townhouses or apartments, a detached dwelling provides exclusive use of the land it occupies, allowing for greater customization and outdoor space. These properties often appeal to families or individuals seeking tranquility and flexibility in design. Additionally, they tend to hold their value well, especially in desirable locations. Whether for primary living or investment purposes, a detached dwelling remains a sought-after housing option.

  26. Hello there, You’ve done an excellent job. I’ll definitely digg it and in my opinion recommend to my friends. I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this web site.

  31. Salut la communauté, en ce qui me concerne, je voulais partager
    mon humble avis sur tous ces récents titres qui vraiment cartonnent ces jours-ci.

    C’est franchement impressionnant à quel point on va pouvoir donner des heures pour suivre cette bille
    tomber dans cette pyramide sans se ennuyer. À mon avis, une clarté représente un gros point fort dans ce domaine,
    notamment lorsqu’ l’on veut tester par cette
    plinko demo en vue de bien comprendre le fameux mécanisme avant de parier demo plinko balls son capital.
    De plus, je viens d’ noté le fait que les écarts parmi le style risque minime avec élevé transforment complètement sa sorte de conduire les sensations lors de une période.

    Je me demande si certains d’entre vous possédez une petite préférence vis-à-vis de chaque total de
    ces étages ou on faites simplement tout tomber au destin ?
    Bref, ça semble être génial de partager quelques petites techniques voire vos anecdotes sur notre plinko free demo qui va nous passionne tant en ce moment !

  33. This is useful information for renters and families planning a move. For apartment and residential moving to Minneapolis, ##anyKeyword## is worth considering.

  46. Thanks for sharing this checklist. The ultimate concrete estimating application can store a large number of time and reduce luxurious blunders on projects. Anyone studying more ideas may desire to match additional hints .

  47. Thanks for sharing this checklist. The ultimate concrete estimating application can store a large number of time and reduce luxurious blunders on projects. Anyone studying more ideas may desire to match ##anyKeyword##.

  49. An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who has been conducting a little homework on this. And he actually ordered me breakfast due to the fact that I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to talk about this matter here on your web page.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *