Thursday, October 02, 2008


One of the most emotional parts of our walk through the camp was here in this building where the personal effects of prisoners is on display. Clothing, shoes, suitcases, hygienic tools (brushes, combs...), glasses, even hair and prosthetic limbs can be seen here. There are no words that can be spoken as you look at these objects. Even though the room was full of people the only sounds that could be heard was the whimpering of people's sobs and others using their handkerchiefs. I dont exactly know why but there was something even more profoundly moving about seeing people's names on the suitcases. Before arriving here, most of them had already endured horrendous abuse by their captors as they were ripped from their homes and put into ghettos or into trains bound for one of these camps. Many families had already been separated, seeing each other for the last time. They were forced to put all their most valuable possessions into one suitcase. They tried their best to clearly mark their suitcases believing that they would get their things back when they arrived to their ultimate destination.

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