20 Jan Sixth Form Students Visit Auschwitz
On Thursday 15th January, Miss Connolly and 2 A Level History students, Rachael Keatley and Hannah Irvine flew to Krakow in Poland, along with some teachers and students from Downshire, Cariickfergus College and Carrickfergus Grammar. We had all been invited by Carrickfergus Council in order to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, one of the most notorious and horrific concentration camps in Poland.
Rachael:
During our recent trip to Poland I not only furthered my knowledge about the Liberation of Auschwitz in 1945 but also had an amazing weekend experiencing Polish culture. Throughout the four days we visited Auschwitz-Birkenau and also the Salt Mines. I very much enjoyed seeing Auschwitz One and Two, having a natural curiosity for this period and a desire to understand better how the Jews were treated by the Nazis. Despite studying history I could not have prepared myself for the reality and the true horrors that they experienced. This is something I will always have with me.
I loved being able to experience another culture and see how things differ from being at home. The Salt Mines were a great way of showing Polish culture, history and also how the times have changed and how there has been so much progress made.
This experience more than anything has taught me that ‘HATE’ will always have some form of dominance over every country in some way or another. But it is how you choose to look at experiences and grow from them that will make the difference in the world.
I would also like to say thank you to Carrickfergus Council and the pupils and teachers from Downshire, Carrickfergus College and Carrickfergus Grammar for a fantastic trip!
On Monday 26th January, we will hold a special assembly to share our experiences and to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
