The first concentration camp that I visited was Flossenburg. Since then I have visited Dachau as well. Both were very emotional experiences, but something about the lack of tourists made Flossenburg feel even sadder than Dachau. In an odd way, it was beautiful as well.
Thomas mentioned it when we were in the woods & could see the rain drops dripping off of the moss & flowers. You could hear the birds chirping & hear the leaves rustle. He said, “It’s odd thinking of how beautiful this place could be if it were not for the terrible things that happened here.”
We were standing next to the original fence posts where I am sure many failed to escape. A few feet away were the crematory & the mound of ashes & bones of thousands of people who were killed there & thrown into a pile as if they meant nothing.
At this point it had stopped raining. When we first arrived the rain was pelting down on us & soaked our clothes & hair through & through. We continued despite the rain.
We were standing next to the original fence posts where I am sure many failed to escape. A few feet away were the crematory & the mound of ashes & bones of thousands of people who were killed there & thrown into a pile as if they meant nothing.
At this point it had stopped raining. When we first arrived the rain was pelting down on us & soaked our clothes & hair through & through. We continued despite the rain.
We walked into the crematory and it felt cold & stale – an eerie feeling that made you sick to your stomach. Thomas started to cry while I held back tears. “How could they let it get this far? How could people turn the other cheek & watch thousands die?” He spoke those words but I was thinking them as well.
The photos I took speak loudly of sadness, fear, things unsettled, & reveal a place that could have been beautiful. I hope you get the chance to go because it was free & very informative.
I read so much about WWII growing up. I wrote an essay about Hitler, read Anne Frank, & even read Hitler’s Mein Kamp which made me angry, sad, and ill, but there is nothing like seeing the aftermath of such terrible things. Even almost 100 years later the evidence of sadness remains. It is something you must not only see with your own eyes, but feel with your own heart as well.
The photos I took speak loudly of sadness, fear, things unsettled, & reveal a place that could have been beautiful. I hope you get the chance to go because it was free & very informative.
I read so much about WWII growing up. I wrote an essay about Hitler, read Anne Frank, & even read Hitler’s Mein Kamp which made me angry, sad, and ill, but there is nothing like seeing the aftermath of such terrible things. Even almost 100 years later the evidence of sadness remains. It is something you must not only see with your own eyes, but feel with your own heart as well.
Tips For Your Trip:
Flossenburg Concentration Camp Memorial Website
Admission: FREE
Parking: FREE
Address: 5 Gedachtnisallee,
92696 Flossenburg,Bavaria, Germany
Hours: March – November:
Daily 0900 – 1700
December – February:
Daily 0900 – 1600
Closed on January 1, December 24, 25 & 26
From December through March the crematorium is not accessible.
Flossenburg Concentration Camp Memorial Website
Admission: FREE
Parking: FREE
Address: 5 Gedachtnisallee,
92696 Flossenburg,Bavaria, Germany
Hours: March – November:
Daily 0900 – 1700
December – February:
Daily 0900 – 1600
Closed on January 1, December 24, 25 & 26
From December through March the crematorium is not accessible.
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