Morality of photography at Auschwitz

clud17

clud17

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,560
Name
Chris
Edit My Images
Yes
ive wanted to take a trip to Poland for a long time and next week im doing a mini Eastern Europe tour.

Im going to Warsaw and then Krakow, while in Krakow im going to make a visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau. Primarily as i am interested in history and would like to experience this tragic place. I would like to get some pictures but i respect the sensitivity of the place and im not sure what to do.

Im not sure if i want to be thinking about photography while im there and certainly not running around setting tripods up and composing shots as i would elsewhere, but at the same time i would like to have a personal journal of my visit and i would like to illustrate this.

i understand that the trust do allow photography from outside of the buildings but not inside.

Has anyone on the forum visited this place and what was your experiences? I'd be very interested to hear your opinions.

Thanks

Chris
 
I've visited twice now, and in total have no more than 40 or so photos from the place (down to 5 or 6 useable!). This isn't down to rules, more down to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place and the atmosphere and so on...it is incredibly moving.

There are of course then, the people that go ignoring the no indoors photography rule, which does spoil it somewhat to have flashes go off every couple of seconds. I wouldn't be surprised if this was deeply upsetting for visitors who have personal links to the place (ie. Grandma and Granddad ended up there). Personally, I only ever snapped 2 photos inside, one of a modern statue, and one of a sign...and both came out blury as I did it quickly to hide the fact I was doing it, I felt ashamed!

This has been discussed a couple of times on here before, with a lot of people seemingly happy to break the rules laid out and snap away everywhere. It is free to get in, and so them throwing you out isn't going to bother you per se, but it is a matter of how that will affect other visitors. It is pretty much down to respecting others. I guess if no one else is in the room, and you are happy to, you could take photos...but it is still against the rules.

I think I'm rambling a bit now...if you do a search for Auschwitz on here it'll come up with my views explained better :D
 
Thanks, im really not bothered about breaking rules and getting shots indoors, as i said im there for the personal experience and im sure its going to overwhelm me too. all im after realy is a few gritty outside shots, ill do a search now and see whats about.
 
I went a couple of years ago and took a small compact camera with me, it can be quite hard shooting indoors anyway because most of the artefacts are in a glass case in a gloomy lit room, so your flash is gonna ruin the pictures anyway. Outside is a different matter, take your camera, take as many photos as you can, there is so many angles you can take photos from, you do get a lot of tourists back and to but ya just gotta be patient, give them time to pay there respects. I find that out of all of my photos the ones that get the most attention are the ones of the huge roller that the prisioners had to pull about in the original camp, the short rail tracks that are still in the concrete floor leading to the furnace`es of the blown up crematoria in birkenau... I used a video camera inside a lot of the buildings with no problem at all, and i also got there really early one day and got loads of shots of crem 1 in the main camp before the tourists arrived.
 
Also, i found it very interesting looking on the internet for original photos taken at the time of the holocaust and super imposing them on my photo, So you see how it is now and a ghost image of how it was then....
I have the deepest of thoughts and respect for the poor souls who lost there lives in the holocaust and for the ones that survived to tell the tale, my photo`s are not just "more pictures for my album" but a tribute to them.
 
clud17 said:
Has anyone on the forum visited this place and what was your experiences? I'd be very interested to hear your opinions.
Click to expand...

I've been, see here. I had a small compact with me and took snaps, but felt uncomfortable about doing it. I don't think that it's the place for doing the full amateur photographer thing to be frank. But you'll know better when you get there how you feel yourself. You are correct that photography is allowed outside the huts but not inside.

edit: should add - Krakow is a brilliant place for photography, especially inside the old town walls. Lovely place.
 
I visited Auschwitz in late May this year. Prior to that I checked the rules on photography with the press office. I spent a good few hours at Auschwitz, all my photography other than one shot was outside. One building had on display something looking like a multicoloured time tunnel, it seemed so out of place. To me it didn't connect with the rest of Auschwitz, so shot it on my tripod. I would never have shot the ovens, and even though there are signs up specifically pointing out why photography is not allowed there, you'll still see pictures on the net. Before I saw Auschwitz Birkenau there was a heavy thunderstorm, and as I was in my shirt sleeves I quickly made it back to the bus stop for the 9 zloty ride back to Krakow. During my visit it was more crowded than normal, there were a huge amount of schools visiting. The visit was a very moving experience. If you are staying nearby in Krakow, it's worth walking out to Liban Quarry where the camp scenes from Schindlers List were filmed, and Schindlers factory should finally be opened up later this year.
 
It may be out of your control when you get there.
By that i mean, it can really hit you hard when you visit these places, like a type of shock. Taking pics maybe the last thing on your mind.
 
IMO nowt wrong with taking photos aslong as you conduct yourself with dignity and respect.

Certainly not a place for typical touristy shots of drunken, grinning Barry in his union flag hat, beer in hand :p
 
I was hoping he didn't mean he'd ignore any to get indoor shots (hence the morality angle of the OP)
 
I think it will be down to what you feel at the time to be honest.

I would like to go someday, along with a trip to Pripyat (Chernobyl) as I believe these are important locations in modern history, but even I'm not sure if I would be willing to take photo's, it's something you will find out when you get there.
 
MackieStaggie said:
I think it will be down to what you feel at the time to be honest.

I would like to go someday, along with a trip to Pripyat (Chernobyl) as I believe these are important locations in modern history, but even I'm not sure if I would be willing to take photo's, it's something you will find out when you get there.
Click to expand...

I did that a few months ago:

http://www.noahgoodrich.co.uk/auschwitz.html

and

http://www.noahgoodrich.co.uk/chernobyl.html

They are both something you definately need to do something around the subject though, otherwise you end up with the exact same shots everyone else has already got like I did. Still woth a visit though.

Oh and I took pictures indoors, some tour guide told me off but I did it anyway. You can get permission if you sign a form at the reception bit at Auschwitz Birkenau I.
 
I've been to a couple of KZs - Bergen-Belsen where I was stationed and to Therezienstadt (Terezin) in the Czech Rep. I've spoken at length to survivors and they were happy to pose for photographs - they're also happy that people are still interested and a few of them have, in their later lives made it a mission to educate schoolchildren as to what happened under the Nazi regime...

I feel that by NOT photographing these places you actually help the process of Holocaust Denial - only by taking and promulgating images of the horror that was the Nazis' Final Solution will we ever hope to prevent such atrocities being committed on such a scale again...
 
I'm with Arkady on this one. I don't think you should have any second thoughts on photographing this place. I went to Auschwitz when I was 14 and shot with an old film camera, I still have those photographs.

By taking images and showing them to us and other people you're making sure this isn't forgotten by future generations. If you really want to use your camera for something meaningful then this is a good time.
 
I agree with Jay. I have pics of The German horror camp at Belsen . Remember , there are millions of different pics around the world , some of which i doubt you would have the stomach to take . Now , you will be taking pictures of memorial grounds and buildings . Take care and enjoy ( for want of a better word) you`re experience and take those pictures of you`re event . They are there to remind us . Regards . Ron
 
Exactly my view, well said. Additionally, not once while I was at Auschwitz did I see anyone glare at or criticise anyone taking photographs.

Arkady said:
I feel that by NOT photographing these places you actually help the process of Holocaust Denial - only by taking and promulgating images of the horror that was the Nazis' Final Solution will we ever hope to prevent such atrocities being committed on such a scale again...
Click to expand...
 
Arkady said:
I've been to a couple of KZs - Bergen-Belsen where I was stationed and to Therezienstadt (Terezin) in the Czech Rep. I've spoken at length to survivors and they were happy to pose for photographs - they're also happy that people are still interested and a few of them have, in their later lives made it a mission to educate schoolchildren as to what happened under the Nazi regime...

I feel that by NOT photographing these places you actually help the process of Holocaust Denial - only by taking and promulgating images of the horror that was the Nazis' Final Solution will we ever hope to prevent such atrocities being committed on such a scale again...
Click to expand...

I agree 100% with that.
It is vital that what happened is never forgotten or distorted.
I never fail to be moved by pictures and narratives of what took place in these camps etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top