Last November, I stood with 200 young people from across the South East of England on the train tracks at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi concentration and death camp in Poland where 1.1 million Jewish men, women and children were murdered by the Nazis. I travelled to Poland as part of the “Lessons from Auschwitz” project run by the Holocaust Educational Trust.
The train tracks run right into the camp. Ahead are the watch-towers, where the guards would have been positioned at all times. At the end of the tracks are the remains of the gas chambers. To the left and right, as far as the eye can see, are the barracks where those selected to work were held. These barracks were originally built as stables for horses, and housed approximately 400 inmates at a time.
As we stood on the train tracks, our educator, Louise, read to us an extract from a young boy who stood on those same tracks some 74 years earlier. These tracks are symbolised by one cattle truck which stands as a memorial for all those who entered this hideous place. Where we had sorrow in our hearts, this young man must have had fear and confusion. This extract has stayed with me:
““Men to the left! Women to the right!” Eight words were spoken quietly, indifferently, without emotion. Eight short, simple words. Yet that was the moment when I parted from my mother. I had not had time to think, but already I felt the pressure of my father’s hand; we were alone. For a part of a second I glimpsed my mother and my sister moving away to the right. Tzipora held my mother’s hand. I saw them disappear into the distance; my mother was stroking my sister’s fair hair, as though to protect her, while I walked on with my father and the other men. And I did not know that in that place, at that moment, I was parting from my mother and Tzipora forever. I went on walking, my father held on to my hand.”
These are the memories of Professor Elie Wiesel, Nobel laureate. He became a powerful voice for survivors and humanity around the world and his book ‘Night’, is one of most seminal works about experience in the camps. Elie spent the rest of his life working to ensure that the Holocaust was never forgotten. He passed away in July 2016, just a few months before my visit, aged 87.
Today, in Parliament, it is fitting that we take time to debate this horror. We will speak in honour of Elie, and all those who either perished in the camps or, against all odds, survived. Many of those who lived on dedicated the rest of their lives to ensure that their experiences would never be repeated. Their stories act as a reminder of the evil which mankind can deliver on itself when hatred, prejudice and violence is left unchecked.
I made this visit alongside my colleague Peter Kyle, Labour MP for Hove and Portslade. We both share a commitment and understanding that horrors of past must never be repeated. Along with MPs from all parties, we recently attended a Holocaust Educational Trust reception in Parliament to meet survivors and pay tribute to these incredible people.
The Lessons from Auschwitz project run by the Holocaust Educational Trust enables thousands of young people from across the UK to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau each year. It helps to make them more aware of the world and enables them to become witnesses of man's inhumanity to man. This is why I actively encourage schools and colleges in my constituency to engage with the Holocaust Educational Trust to help young people to learn about the Holocaust and join their visits. However far away in history it is, we must continue to ensure future generations not only learn about the past but know they can make a difference today.
The horrors of Nazi Germany may be behind us but the undertones which underpinned it are still seen across the world. As the lights go out on the lives of Holocaust survivors, let us talk of their bravery and ensure that their memory lives on and shines a light for generations to come.
Huw Merriman is Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle. He co-sponsors the Holocaust Memorial Debate taking place today in the House of Commons.