Students from Oświęcim and Dachau: A strong sign of commemoration

Students from Oświęcim and Dachau: A strong sign of commemoration

Before the impressive international memorial in the Dachau concentration camp memorial, a moving place of commemoration has enriched its story for a special initiative! Two Germans and two Polish students captured a crowning moment in the light blue sky by taking flowers - an idea of the Polish exchange students with deep respect. Wiktoria, one of the German students, enthusiastically tells of the significant experiences of exchange with their Polish colleagues from Oświęcim, the location of the notorious extermination camp.

Dachau and Oświęcim-two cities that are tragically linked. This partnership has achieved a new dimension! The teacher Hedwig Bäuml from the Ignaz-Taschner-Gymnasium explains that she has worked for a long time: "A long-cherished teacher dream comes true!". Their vision of a student exchange is now filled with life by young people, who understand the horrors of the past and at the same time want to beat bridges to the future.

Think about the shadows of history

Wiktoria and her classmate Kiara remember her childhood in Dachau, where the memorial was almost like a permanent companion. "The barbed wire fence asked me as a child," says Kiara. This unmistakable feeling of connection with the Polish exchange students is underlined by an atmosphere of the city described by Wiktoria - "there is something in the air". Bartek, a student from Oświęcim, notes that most visitors are looking for the memorial in a direct way.

As part of the exchange program, the Holocaust-surviving Eva has deeply touched the students. Her haunting stories about the Auschwitz concentration camp and the trauma of her mother heard and make the students think: "We can tell their history and contribute to lives on," says Wiktoria full of reverence. The impressive words of circulation and lively discussions throw a light on the dark past and at the same time challenge the present and future. "It started in Dachau and it ended in Auschwitz," emphasizes Bäuml, the shocking links of these two historical sites for young people who hope not to forget the teachings of history and actively work for a better future.