Horror and History at Gross-Rosen Concentration Camp
Written by Marcus Cederstrom
Concentration camps, as a general rule, are not always at the top of the list when people are sight-seeing. People do not like being reminded of certain historical events. Especially events that, in the grand scheme of things, did not happen all that long ago.
From an historical perspective though, concentration camps, offer a glimpse at the horror that was the Holocaust. While most people know the history behind Auschwitz, few know about the Gross-Rosen camp. A Nazi concentration camp about 65 miles southwest of Wroclaw in what is now Poland.
Gross-Rosen is very much out of the way, lying just outside of Rogoźnica. It is not easy to get there. The train station, is a small building which seems to watch more freight trains go by than passenger trains. Which is why I found myself taking a very long, but reasonably priced, taxi ride out to Rogoźnica.
I arrived to vast emptiness. Not a single person was around. I wandered around thinking I would eventually run into someone. Somewhere. Finally, I walked into a building, which doubled as the reception and the museum. Expecting to have to pay something, I asked how much. Nothing. It was free. I was prepared to pay; I wanted to support the preservation of this history, but nope, completely free.
Instead, I wandered around the museum with a notebook that translated everything into English for me. The displays were incredible. Graphic. Depressing. The actual concentration camp was much of the same.
Having started as a work-camp, eventually becoming a concentration camp, Gross-Rosen put over 100,000 people to work in the rock quarry. Over 40,000 of them died.
The entrance made this abundantly clear, in a most macabre way because posted just above the entrance were the words “ARBEIT MACHT FREI.” In my very loose and literal English translation, “work makes free.”
I wandered through the camp, looking at the various buildings, the personal memorials, the large memorial to all victims of the Holocaust. They stood in stark contrast to the beautiful Polish countryside surrounding the camp.
After nearly three hours of throwing myself into one of the most sobering travel experiences, I was still alone. Not a single person had stopped by. Finally, I began making my way back into Rogoźnica and my trip back to Wroclaw.
My time at Gross-Rosen was quiet, humbling, depressing, but most important, it was historical. Given the chance, I would visit a concentration camp again. Because some things are better not forgotten.
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Marcus, I agree with you totally about the importance/value of visiting concentration camps (I’ve written a lot about my visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau) – but your story here really moved me – being there utterly alone would make it all a hundred times worse, if you know what I mean. The crowds at Auschwitz were sobering because there were so many people yet they were so quiet; but to be alone – wow. Sounds like an experience you’ll always remember.
Marcus – I suppose if Gross Rosen isn’t so well known and is hard to access it will have fewer visitors but it is still amazing that you were the only visitor there.
I studied WW2 in History at secondary school so the whole Holocuast made a deep impression on me. I found the Jewish Memorial in Berlin harrowing but I haven’t visited a concentration camp.
@Amanda – it really was one of those unforgettable moments. Depressing. Surreal. But definitely unforgettable. If you ever find yourself near Gross-Rosen (considering it is a bit out of the way that might be unlikely) I would definitely suggest checking it out. I think because it is so out of the way, it gives a different perspective than the larger memorials and camps might.
@Karen – I couldn’t believe I was the only one. I still struggle to believe that. But it was completely empty. Even the two women working made themselves scarce and never left the confines of the museum building.
I have also been to the Berlin memorial and found it to be incredible, but I really do believe it is important to go to a concentration camp. It makes what happened so much more real.
Marcus- I have just read your blog after doing some research for ‘things to do near Wrocraw’ and Gross-Rosen came up once or twice. I am visiting Wrocraw in September with a few friends and after reading your blog i will now suggest a visit to Gross-Rosen to the others so I hope we will make the trip. We have been to Auschwitz in 2003 and we were very moved by the reality of what took place only a short time ago in history.
Please can you advise me on the rough cost of a taxi there and back and how long it takes to get there.
Regards
John
It really was an amazing experience. Partly because it was so quiet and lonely. I was left alone with my thoughts of the horror there. In terms of getting there, it’s not easy.
There are a couple of options when trying to get to Gross-Rosen. One being a taxi. So to address your question, it took me about an hour by taxi and cost about 200 zloty. I feel fairly confident that it is possible to get a cheaper taxi ride. I did not plan to take a taxi and so just grabbed one outside the train station.
I was at the train station because I had missed my train to Rogoźnica, the town just outside of Gross-Rosen, at 7:44 in the morning. The next train didn’t leave for another two hours and I wanted to get out to Gross-Rosen which is why I grabbed the first taxi that I could.
Hopefully that helps a bit!
[...] are depressing. They are not fun. And I have now visited two of them since moving to Europe. Gross-Rosen in Poland, and now Dachau in [...]
hi i visited gross-rossen april 2009 i lived in nearby jawor while working in a nearby quarry in my opinion you had to see this to have any reality to what happened there .i would say to other people who are visiting this area to go and see the musem so people never forget whathappened in these places it should never be allowed to happen again, one of the most depressing places i have ever been to
regards colin pattison durham england
Colin – thanks for your taking the time to comment on Europe a la Carte and sharing your thoughts on Gross-Rosen with us, as it is a pretty emotional topic.
Colin, you are absolutely right. It is one of those places that needs to be seen to be truly understood.
Forgive me for saying so but there is a certain resonance in the emptienesses of places such as Gross-Rosen, Majdanek (Lublin), Ponary (Vilnius), Salaspils (Riga) and so many others of these horrific places scattered around Eastern Europe and Poland in particular. Yes the greatest horrors happened at Auschwitz-Birkenau and these should never be forgotten but the site seems more a holiday destination for tour parties, school trips and stag parties looking for a hangover cure out of Krakow. To walk alone through the remnants of the camp with but the wildlife and a few local workmen continuing the preservation of the site for future generations one could sense the restless ghosts of the past. The very personal memorials by the tree of the dead (pictured above) cannot fail to draw a tear
By the way to reach the camp by train from Wroclaw is doable though it takes time and means long waits going via Jaworzyna Slask or Legnica, neither of which have much to recommend them. Swidnica might be a better bet.