Students from Springwood High School in KIng’s Lynn visit Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland
The horror of the Holocaust was brought to life for a group of West Norfolk students who visited the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.
Sixth form members from Springwood High School made the trip as part of the Lessons from Auschwitz Project. All four students returned determined to ensure the experiences of the 1.1 million people who perished at the camp will not be forgotten.
Around a million of those who died were Jews, and Auschwitz is now known as a symbol of Nazi genocide during the Second World War.
“It was incredibly surreal to be there, and suddenly made the Holocaust feel a lot more real than before,” said Leah Yeldham.
Along with Leah, Abigail Denham, Ellie Day and Trinity Lusher were accompanied on the trip by teacher Agnieszka Munns
They heard the story of 90-year-old survivor Janine Webber who has dedicated her life to raising awareness of the Holocaust and all its atrocities. She was born in Poland, sent to the ghetto and lost most of her family to the genocide.
“Our job now is to share the stories of Janine and other survivors so that they are not forgotten and their experiences are not overlooked,” said Leah.
“I feel the trip to Auschwitz didn’t only provide me, as well as my group, with the stories of those who were in Auschwitz and what happened there, but also gave me a more emotional understanding of Auschwitz,” added Trinity.
“For me, it opened my eyes to the true atrocities committed there; it provided a different understanding to what happened than what a history book can.”
“Throughout our time in Poland, the guides continuously emphasised the importance of recognising the Holocaust victim as not just a figure or statistic – as this cannot fully capture the extent of the genocide and to remember that behind these numbers are real people,” said Abigail.
“We learnt that every individual who was unjustly discriminated against was part of a community, not just a statistic from a history book,” agreed Ellie.
“That’s why it’s important to speak up about antisemitism and any form of discrimination. To ensure history doesn’t repeat itself, and to ensure everyone has the chance they deserve to safely practise their religion and explore their culture without the fear of being persecuted.”
The Lessons from Auschwitz Project is run by the Holocaust Education Trust and started 1999. Since then, more than 41,000 students and teachers have taken part. Each trip includes an seminars and a talk from a Holocaust survivor, as well as a day at the camp.
