Everybody around me has some knowledge about the holocaust, either through schooling, personal loss or plain historical interest. I had already visited Bergen Belsen and Sachsenhausen and traveling to Auschwitz Birkenau (or better: Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II) had been on my mind for quite some time. It is rather a long trip; some 1.500 kilometers from where I live.
Going there without prior reading up on the subject is a sure way to miss about half of what actually happened. There is a lot of information available through internet or books, but what really astounded me was the fact that nowhere did I pick up that this place is big. As in staggeringly huge. But then again, the Nazis planned for a lot of work in as containable an area as possible. They knew they where doing evil things and wanted it kept away from prying eyes.
On reflection I found "Auschwitz I" more of a museum. Birkenau on the other hand, spooked me with its realism. And throughout it all I was wrestling with the fact that at certain times I was consciously putting my attention on the camera and how I wanted to capture the scenes.
I plan to make a photo book, or perhaps a textbook with photos, describing my feelings, combining it with historical fact and tips for photographers. The place is still spooking me.