| Gleis 17 |
World War Two; a not so very distant memory for some and
ingrained in the minds of millions of others due to its
outcomes, long-term effects and the legacy that it left behind. An
event which resulted in huge numbers of casualties there are few in
the western world who remained unaffected. It shaped politics,
culture and religion, changing the face of Europe and leading to a divide
between the capitalist west and the communist east. There have been east west
divides in history before but this one remains prominent in the memories of
the populations involved due to its relevance and its recent
nature.
 |
| 1938 - Prisoners at Sachsenhausen |
Within the war itself the Holocaust is probably the
most researched non-conflict subject, causing millions to
visit memorials to those who lost their lives every year. Many westerns feel
linked to the massacres, even if they have no personal ties to the situation.
It is an aspect of the war which hits people hard, especially when visiting the
places of execution and concentration. There is silence as one walks around the
empty, decaying camps, attempting to put numbers into proportion and realising
the full and terrible scale of the events. Seeing the shoes piled high, or the
barracks, or the gas chambers effects visitors in ways that they could not even
imagine before entering. Beyond this, those camps that contain 'hospitals',
cause even more disturbance to the often unsuspecting tourist. We all know
something about the events of the Holocaust, we are taught it from an early
age, but there is little to prepare oneself for some of the unmentioned horrors
these places reveal to us. Certain aspects are left out during early education,
so not to lay too heavily on younger children, however for a group of thirty,
fourteen year old students the sudden introduction of these areas of the
Holocaust came as a shock as they were introduced to horrors that they had
never imagined.
| Holocaust Memorial - Berlin |
The poem below was inspired by this event and written
shortly afterwards for a local poetry competition, for which it won first prize
in its age category. It centres on the deportation of a Jewish man to the concentration
camp Sachsenhausen, where he knows it is inevitable that he will die. He leaves
on his journey from 'Gleis 17', a train line in west of Berlin. This place is
now a memorial, with the numbers of the deported and their destination written
upon the out of service and overgrown train track. Looking out to the horizon
gives the visitor a chilling feeling knowing how many thousands of innocent
people looked upon the station in their last moments of freedom before being
forced in to train carriages and placed in the camps at the other end.
A place which brings with it high emotions, a
revaluation of ones live and a deep sadness for the deaths caused by the
Holocaust, Gleis 17 is well worth a visit. Candles sometimes litter the path as
people pay their respects to the dead. There are sights like this throughout
Germany, Austria, Poland and elsewhere, and however harrowing they may be there
is something about them that causes their visitors to think differently about
the past, about themselves and about the future. I hope you enjoy this poem, I
was very proud of it all those years ago, Amyx
Gleis 17
In the depths of night we were woken,
And grabbed and pulled and broken,
We were Shoved and forced to march,
Then herded harshly under an
arch.
We waited for the oncoming storm,
Standing on that empty platform,
Then a train as black as night,
Appeared to increase our tragic plight.
Frozen by the wind from the north
east,
Shoved onto this snarling beast,
Crammed into its hollow shell,
Where we were going we could not
tell.
Slowly, silently we pulled away,
Homes we left behind that day,
We felt hunger deep
inside,
With emotions that we could not hide.
While steaming along the deserted track,
With no chance of turning back,
Crying out in deep despair
‘The injustice of life, so unfair.’
No comments:
Post a Comment