I live in Krakow (about 1,5 hour from
Auschwitz Museum) and I visited the place couple of times. The first time when I was about 13 - with my class. I guess the visit to Auschwitz is something one never forgets... especially some parts of the exhibition - hair, suitcases... and the film showing the liberation of the camp.
But I also have mixed feelings about people taking smiling photos of themselves in the Museum area and eating sandwiches. I could not swollow anything there...
I would restrain myself from saying that it's the Germans who did this. Here we say it was the Nazis - and I support it. Let's not forget that people of many nationalities were sent there too - also disabled, gays and rebellions from Germany. They all suffered.
My reccomendation:I somehow feel that before taking tour to Auschwitz one really needs to visit
Kazimierz - the Jewish district of Krakow first. You can see then what a beautiful culture the Jewish community developed there. In Izaac's synagogue there is a film displayed showing the life before WW II and the fact of moving all the Krakow Jews to the Ghetto (in Podgorze). Then visiting Podgorze, seeing the wall of the Ghetto, Schindler's Factory and other memorial places... and then
Auschwitz Birkenau - where the life of many Krakow Jews became the hell.
It's a kind of
Jewish heritage tour that helps to realise what was lost because of the Holocaust.
I really like the idea of having separate exhibitions in memory of all the nations that suffered in Auschwitz Birkenau camp. One can visit the barracks that feature photos and histories of given nationality groups that were taken there.
Anyway, if planning a visit there... be prepared that you will probably leave thrilled... I did.