James Bowen's photos

The Nazis sent people to the camps by train. The trains cross this very narrow bridge to get to get to Treblinka. The bridge is still used today, though now by cars. Incidentally getting to Treblinka isn't very easy. It's very much off the beaten track, which may be because this is an area of their history of which the Poles (amongst others) aren't very proud.

I took my family to Poland in December 2005 to see relations there. We agreed that Treblinka is the quietest place we've ever been to, largely because it was New Years Day in the middle of nowhere. While there, we didn't hear any sounds. The lack of noise was almost as intimidating as the displays, because it left you to your thoughts. This memorial is on the site of one of the gas chambers. At gunpoint, the various groups the Nazis deemed to be undesirable (Jews, gays, gypsies etc.) were made to run up a hill, from a railroad carriage, into the chamber situated at this monument. That way they'd be out of breath when they went in. The display (which includes a list of places which sent people there on the stones in the background) serves as a memorial to the horrors that people can do to one another.