Poland: A Journey of Remembrance

By Mr Aaron Wheatley,
Head of History and Politics

Forty Year 9s and 10s spent the first weekend of the February half-term in Poland, enduring minus temperatures and a packed itinerary. Our base for the trip was in Kazimierz – the Jewish district in Krakow. Our first day was spent predominantly travelling but the late-afternoon was spent on a walking tour around Krakow’s Wawel Castle and Stare Miasto (the Old Town). Our pupils enjoyed hearing stories about the Wawel Dragon and about Pope John Paul II, amongst other things.
The next day was predictably cold but after a hearty breakfast, we made our journey to Oswiecim (or Auschwitz, as it is known). The pupils spent time with their guide, who talked them through Auschwitz I. We then travelled to the outskirts of Oswiecim, where we visited Auschwitz-Birkeneau – our visit became additionally poignant as we were forced to endure Birkeneau’s notorious winter winds. Naturally, the day was incredibly emotive but the pupils’ conduct throughout was suitably exemplary. Hopefully, this is an experience that will last a lifetime and will inspire an even deeper curiosity into learning about the past.
Our Saturday in Poland was spent in Krakow – initially, in Stare Miasto (the Old Town), where pupils had an opportunity to spend some time in the local shops, practicing the Polish. The afternoon was spent at the Schindler’s Enamel Factory Museum, where pupils were guided around the various components to the original factory but were also introduced to Wartime Krakow and Life in the Jewish Ghetto. Again, this proved to be another memorable experience. Our walk back to the hotel was detoured via the old Jewish Ghetto, where pupils had the opportunity to see one of only three remaining fragments of the old ghetto wall and the Jewish Ghetto Memorial. The walk back to Kazimierz took us through the back streets of the old Jewish district, where pupils had the opportunity to visit Plac Nowy and the passageway which was used in filming for Schindler’s List.
The Galicia Museum was the destination for our final day in Poland. Here, our pupils had the opportunity to hear from a ‘Witness’ who kindly shared the story of her mother, who was involved in saving a school friend from Nazi persecution. The Q&A after listening to the story was enormously insightful. Again, our pupils can be immensely proud of how well they conducted themselves throughout.

Write up by Isabella A-G, Year 9
I’m Isabella, a current Year 9 student at IHS, and I was fortunate enough to get the incredible opportunity to go on this amazing trip. I have had the privilege to be on the most wonderful journey over the past four days, and been able to obtain such valuable knowledge and experiences that have helped me form a new outlook and perspective moving forward. For me, the most emotive part of the trip was when we visited Auschwitz one and Auschwitz two, Birkenau. Auschwitz 1 brought tears to my eyes, as seeing all the belongings and valuables that were ripped away from those Jews, undoubtedly dehumanising every one of them, and the compactness of all this terror and torture squeezed into such a hard-headed cold place made you feel so disgusted and ashamed to have looked upon our past to this. Birkenau presented to us a different aspect to this hell, it showed us the validity and vastness of it. It left us feeling bewildered and shocked at the immenseness of the place. It was extremely poignant and sobering. This is truly something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, but just the town itself-Krakow- represents a Holocaust Museum. Everywhere we went had meaning and a story. The beautiful town had such history, and to my dismay, its walls had seen such misery and death. We were also extremely blessed to be able to listen to a survivor and her family’s involvement in the Holocaust. It was truly enlightening and a once in a lifetime opportunity. Overall, I am so grateful to be able to have been on this trip and experience it with my friends and teachers, I’ve made so many marvellous memories. I recommend this trip fully to any years fortunate to go in the future and would no doubt go again if I got the chance with my family. Thank you so much to the school and teachers who organised and allowed this trip to go forward, I show my great gratitude.

Write up by Idunn H-P, Year 9
I enjoyed this trip very much, if that is the right turn of phrase. I think it’s a very important thing for people to experience, it’s a very educational experience and just helps you to reach a different level of understanding of the history of the holocaust. It is a very heavy and deep place to walk through, to walk and stand in the same places millions of Jews did, learning about what they had to endure and just trying to imagine what they were going through all those years ago. The fact that everything the Nazis didn’t destroy within Auschwitz-Birkenau and Auschwitz- II Birkenau is still there standing just as it would have during the holocaust puts into perspective how recently this happened, and to think that not even a century ago people were inflicting this horror onto innocent people and thinking is was okay or the proper thing to do is sickening. When we went into the Blocks and viewed the exhibitions it was so saddening to see the amount of remnants of the victims of Auschwitz alone- the only things to mark their existence in the camp was only their shoes, clothing, personal belongings and their hair. For me the display of the hair was one of the worst parts of the tour- the sheer amount of it piled high in the display cases was sickening. People had physically cut that very hair off of innocent people’s heads purely to dehumanise them, and then storing it to sell to clothing producers and such; I can’t think of what could be more inhumane then the pointlessness of it. The feeling of standing and walking around such a historically significant place is absolutely indescribable and definitely something everyone should attempt to experience at least once in their lives.
The other parts of the trip such as visiting the museums and memorials, talking to the daughter of a survivor, and getting to explore Krakow were so much fun and so interesting; getting to learn about the culture and history of the city was so lovely. It’s such a beautiful place it makes it hard to think about the fact that just outside the city is one of the most horrifying places in the world.
Overall I think the trip- though extremely intense- is definitely something I would recommend to others, I’m very glad I decided to come on the trip as I would not know the experience I would have missed out on had I not gone on the trip.