Newport sixth formers experience Auschwitz ‘monstrosity’

AS part of the Lessons from Auschwitz project, Newport sixth formers Claire Wyatt and Daniel Holmes visited the site last week.

“I really could not have imagined how brutally these people were treated within the camps and what they had to suffer,” said Daniel. “The most emotionally testing exhibit was the glass case filled with the shoes of the children who had lived, and died, in the camp.”

Claire Wyatt described her experience of Auschwitz as “a moving and important insight into the process of the holocaust.

“It also inspired me to further people of my ages knowledge of the holocaust but also the importance of tolerance in society,” she said.

Back at school the students are preparing to deliver assemblies to younger students.

They are finding this challenging since, as Daniel says, “it’s hard to talk about it and to comprehend how people let such a monstrosity happen”.

He added: “When people ask me ‘how was the trip?’ I end up explaining how heart wrenching and soul breaking the exhibits are and I just can’t find the words to justify how I really feel about it and how moved I was by the whole trip, because words just aren’t enough.”