“The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again”

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. Today presents an opportunity for everyone to pause to remember the millions of people who have been murdered or whose lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Through special events such as the Holocaust exhibition on display in the Aberdeen Woodhill House link corridor, we join thousands of people across the UK seeking to learn the lessons of the past and to recognise that genocide does not just take place on its own, it’s a steady process which can begin if discrimination, racism and hatred are not checked and prevented.

To mark this day, I’d like to welcome our two guest bloggers, Fiona Park and Ainsley Morrison; two pupils from Mintlaw Academy who had the opportunity to take part in a trip to Auschwitz in the city of Oswiecim in Poland. Pupils took part in the trip as part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ programme. The Trust works with schools, universities and in the community to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, educating young people on the important lessons to be learned from the Holocaust for today.

“The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again” – George Santayana

Fiona said: In September, Ainsley and I had the opportunity to go to Auschwitz. I have a real passion for history and since Auschwitz is such a big part of recent history, I felt that I had to go.
Ainsley recounted: When we arrived at Auschwitz we were guided through some displays of items salvaged from the camp after it was liberated in 1945. A variety of items are displayed in some of the rooms including piles of shoes, hair and clothes which were all removed from the prisoners as they entered the camp.

Fiona said: We also saw photographs of some of the victims from the camp. This was a very poignant moment as I was able to see lots of the different faces of the Holocaust.

Ainsley continued: One particularly sombre moment was when we went inside a gas chamber. We could see the holes in the roof where the Nazis deposited the gas through.

Fiona said: Going into the gas chamber and standing in the room where this has happened was quite a surreal experience.
Ainsley added: We then visited one of the barracks where the prisoners of this camp were kept in cramped and dirty conditions. We also went up one of the guard towers where we could see the full size of the camp.

Fiona noted: You really can’t appreciate the largeness of the camp until you see it for yourself. It’s very easy to just think of the numbers but it’s harder to think about the fact that every one of those numbers represents a single person with their own stories, families, goals, dreams and lives. When you think about the human side of it, it becomes harder to imagine it but it becomes more personal.

Ainsley said: The visit was ended with a memorial ceremony which included reading a passage and a moment for reflection. This ceremony was finished by lighting memorial candles and placing them around the remains of the crematoria.

The trip was a very interesting experience and a good opportunity. I am going to help keep the memory alive by giving assembles to my school about what I learned on the trip.

Fiona concluded: I think that the Holocaust is something that everyone needs to know about. The whole trip was definitely something that I will always remember and will always pass on my knowledge about. I also think that anyone who gets the opportunity to go should go.