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Auschwitz II-Birkenau

Auschwitz II-Birkenau in Brzezinka is the largest and most haunting part of the complex of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, where more than 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered. Built from October 1941 onwards, the camp grew to around 140 hectares and more than 300 buildings — this is where the industrialised killing of the Holocaust took place: most deportees from across Europe died in the gas chambers within hours of arrival, unregistered and without a trace.

Today Brzezinka speaks the language of ruins and empty space. Brick and wooden barracks, watchtowers, railway tracks with the unloading ramp and the remains of crematoria with gas chambers — blown up by the SS in January 1945 to cover up the crime — still stand. A wooden guard tower rises above the main gate, known as the Gate of Death, and an international monument to the victims stands by the tracks. The silence and the sheer scale of this site stay with you longer than any museum exhibition.

Admission to the Memorial is free, but requires a personal entry pass reserved online at visit.auschwitz.org. A free museum shuttle bus runs between Auschwitz I and Birkenau. Allow at least 1.5–2 hours for Birkenau alone: it is an open site with several kilometres of walking, so sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothing are a must. The Memorial is not recommended for children under 14; please keep the silence and solemnity this place demands.