i was stationed in soltau about 12k up the road and we used to take the newbies out on driver trg and show them and we were always out on the tank/arty ranges doing helarm and fire missions, anyhow i went back 3 years ago and now instead of a wooden hut as a museum its all glass and concrete even with a visitors centre and a ******* cafeteria/restraunt
I've never been but it is somewhere I want to visit, as is Auschwitz. I'm not sure I'd really want to eat in a restaurant while there though. I did go to Germany while serving but was only there for a short period and much to my regret I never got the opportunity to visit. Perhaps over the next couple of years I'll get there.
I'm expecting it to be worse than I can imagine. I know a few people who have been and they have all said the same.
Personally, I don't know why people want to go to these places. Never forget the atrocities of course, but it's a bit like the people who visited Fred West's street before his house got demolished - an acquired taste, not for me.
Auschwitz was the only camp where the prisoners were tattooed with numbers on their arms - usually the left arm. Auschwitz was used to imprison other groups apart from the Jews. Each prisoner wore a different coloured triangle on their clothes. Political prisoners - Red triangle Criminals - Green Vagrants Prostitutes Roma - Black Jehovah's Witnesses - Purple Jews -Yellow Gay men - Pink - estimated 15,000 gay men died in Auschwitz.
I don't think I ever could go, photographs I've seen from the time are enough, but for the holocaust deniers out there it is important that Autwitz and Belsen exist.
What year were you there? I did at least one gig there with a band many years ago Mid-late 80's on our numerous tours of Germany including Rhine arrmy/NAAFI... Sgts/Corporals? messes all over Northern Germany Padeborn, Bielefeld Hameln,Rheindalen, Hamburg etc . We used to go at least 3 times year, Christmas summer balls dining outs Valentines day etc. QLRs in Paderborn were 'nutters'. They seemed to have a few rowdy Scots in their ranks I got wrong side of one of them on day one (a gruff Scotsman) who proudly took us into the mess bar but did so by announcing 'Welcome to the 'Bent bar' (Apparently after a hero from the Boer War). Unfortunately caught off guard and not knowing the background I laughed a bit and was promptly dragged off the bar stool backwards and given a right rollicking, he was a bit pissed at the time and I did nt catch every word he said but most were 4 letter ones!!. We saw him at 8am on the day of the Summer ball with beer in hand and kept seeing him throughout the day always with a beer in his hand). The last time we saw him was at 4am the following morning after the gig when we went for the breakfast!! He STILL had a bottle in his hand and was apparently on duty at 7am. In '88 they had trips to the Euros and got into loads of scraps(apparently the reason they went. There was even an bust-up (cat fight)between two of the wives in the Sgts mess after the RSM had left and the evening became' informal' where they had to be forcibly separated. The next time we played a few month laters we were at the corporals mess and, guess what? One of the husband's was now a Corporal as he had been busted, apparently it was due to the incident. However it was anticipated he was due be promoted back to Sgt after a suitable time. We visited Belsen as our guitarist had Polish origins and a relative had died there. It was a cold overcast damp dismal day and eerily quiet with no birds flying overhead or birdsong of any sort. Admittedly it was winter and there was the distant noise from the artillery range. It had a small museum building and unlike Auschwitz was just flat scrubland as all the buildings had been levelled. Also no cafe restaurant (which seems a bit inappropriate as those who died did so from starvation and disease as it was a holding camp not an extermination one) Sacttered aroiund were huge grass covered mounds with low concrete walls carved with ' Hier liegen 8000... Hier liegen 6000 etc . It was very moving and on our drive back to the army base no-one spoke which was unique if you knew what our band was like when gigging. The three things stand out for me at the barracks (if it is the one I remember as we played many in Germany) . Originally used by the Nazis and built during the time of the Nazis there was a large building with steps and a balcony on the ouside where, we were told, Hitler once visited and spoke to the troops (may have been a myth) but the Swastika emblem at the top of the wall above the balcony had been chiselled off. I recall a long building where railway tracks had been (presumably where offloading victims shipped in.) The bogs in the Sgts/Corporals? mess block where we stayed were the old 'platform' type (apparently pork was often infected with tapeworks so it was common practise to check stools for worms before flushing) Delightful, although sitting there with a steaming turd centimetres from your butthole made you inclined to get the jobbie done and flushed away asap We used to average a crate (or two) of Grolsch which, if they liked us, used to appear in our designated 'green room' at the end of the night, since we didn't have toi drive anywhere staying on camp before moving on next day. If they REALLY liked us, the RSM used to have a load of squaddies in shiny chrome battle helmets (apparently on punishment duties) humping our gear. Especially helpful as often the messes were up one or more flights of stairs and in those days you had a lot of gear, lights, PA systems, back line instruments etc were pretty bulky and heavy.
I visited when I went to Kraków. I get what you’re saying but I am glad that I went, strange term to use but hopefully you get the context. I’m a 54 year old bloke and I can assure you I was in tears at times some of the things you see and hear are harrowing. When we got to Birkenau the scale really hit you. My wife couldn’t go Schindlers factory was enough for her she felt she wouldn’t cope emotionally and she was probably right. If anyone does go to Kraków think about going, I remember the words of our guide at the end, she said it was important that we visited as it shows the victims are not forgotten and that helped a little. It’s a day I will never forget and as I type now I can still picture some of the things I saw and the tears are still there but I feel that going was the right thing to do and if you feel you can make the visit you should.
i was in soltau ( hq 7 armd bge) with 657 sqn aac 75-78 then back to baor on ex and trips until 83. most of our armour was in hohne ( bergen/belsen) the building you mention with the balcony was nicknamed the roundhouse and was the naafi complex, bar/cafe/supermarket/white goods legend has it that it was something to do with SS/gestapo during the war, who knows. i think everyone should visit a place like this just to see what not so much religon, or politics does but mainly intolarence of someone elses ( spelling) views/beliefs. just because it aint for you dont mean its wrong ( unless its illegal)
The Nazis werent another species, they were people just like you and me and that is why it us so important never to forget, to learn the lessons from history. And that is why things like blaming an entire race or nation for anything can never be allowed to take hold.
Never been to any camp. Thought about it a few times and have never got round to it. But aside from tv documentaries. I visited the imperial war museum in London. And there was an Holocaust exhibition. Absolute silence whilst walking round. Very emotional experience. Schools should be encouraged to visit. Over a specific age to show how mankind can be so appalling in their treatment of others. ( If it still exists. Not sure if it is a permanent exhibition. Should have been if not) Everyone complains about how expensive London can be but most museums are free. Including the Natural history. Science. Art. Victoria and Albert. Lots of others. Edit Googled it and it is a permanent exhibition. Over 14’s only and free.
