The Kimberley School Newsletter March 2016 | Page 7

The Sixth Form Trip to Krakow
Written by Mary Traynor (Year 12)

On Thursday 7th January, I was one of a group of Year
12 History students that set off for Kraków in Poland.
We were all extremely excited about the trip, but we
also knew that it would be very emotive, as we would
be visiting the death camp at Auschwitz. Auschwitz
was somewhere that many of us had always wanted to
go and have the opportunity to see for ourselves.

chambers and the crematoriums were stark reminders
of over a million people who inhumanely lost their lives
due to Nazi brutality. Seeing the confiscated personal
belongings of those innocent people, along with
exhibition images of those murdered or left barely
surviving, reminded us of the true cost of genocide.
Atrocities that must never be repeated.

It was particularly interesting, as we travelled to
Auschwitz, to see how many houses were in such
close proximity to the camp. I wondered how two such
contrasting ways of life could be occurring so close
together, how some people could have been going
about their daily lives, whilst murder and slavery was
happening so close by. With trepidation, we arrived
at the gate of Auschwitz and saw the famous words
‘Arbeit Macht Frei’.

Our trip was action packed and, alongside our visit
to Auschwitz, we were able to see the beauty of
picturesque Kraków Old Town. Before the war, 68,000
Jewish people lived in Kraków, in contrast, there are
now less than 200 Jewish people remaining. Our
guided tour gave us a taste of the culture of the city
and helped us to understand how Nazi occupation had
affected the people living there.

Standing in the cold wind, looking at the grim surroundings, I tried to imagine how it must have felt for those
who arrived here during the Second World War. The
hustle, the bustle and uncertainty, and what was to
follow being beyond comprehension.
The experience was thought-provoking, adding a
new realism to our understanding of the Holocaust,
witnessing first hand, the industrial scale of mass
murder planned and executed by the Nazis. We saw
the horrendous, cramped living conditions inmates had
to suffer, the vile punishment cells where people were
tortured, followed by the Death Wall, where naked
prisoners were shot dead. The remnants of gas

Exploring the Wieliczka Salt Mine, we were able to see
its many pits and chambers, including the magnificent
Chapel of St Kinga, decorated with chandeliers,
altarpieces, statues and monuments, all of which had
been made from the salt extracted from the mine. In
addition to this, we also had a great time bowling,
shopping and sampling local delicacies.
This trip made a lasting impression on every single one
of us and will help us to remember the importance of
tolerance, unity and challenging prejudice, persecution
and discrimination. It was an incredible experience and
I would definitely recommend it to others. Many thanks
to Mr Wharmby, Mrs Brockway and Mr Brockway, for
making it all possible. I will always remember it!