Landscape Blog- Gas Chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau II in Poland

There were seven buildings that existed as gas chambers in Auschwitz.  Crematory I at the Stammlager could contain between 700-800 persons. However, because the capacity of Crematory I was not sufficient for the increasing number who were to be killed if Auschwitz was to play a key role in the extermination of the European Jews the camp administration found two empty houses at the Birkenau camp site and converted them into gas chambers (Auschwitz).

Bunker 1, also called the “Red House” was located at the border of Birkenau camp. The building consisted of four rooms where two were converted into gas chambers. In the rooms the windows were sealed with bricks and there were openings in the outer walls for the gas to enter. Each gas chamber could contain up to 400 victims and the corpses were buried in mass graves nearby (Auschwitz).

Bunker 2, also called the “White House” was located at the west end of the Birkenau camp. Inside there were four rooms converted into gas chambers of different sizes. The daily killing quota was higher in Bunker 2. The difference between the two was that in Bunker 1 all gas chambers had two doors which provided more rapid ventilation after the gassings (Auschwitz).

After reading about these in more detail I got upset. I cannot understand how some people ar so cruel. How do you just throw people into a gas chamber? I could go on and on about this but my main point is I am sad to go visit this place but I am looking forward to gaining a lot more history from visiting.

References:

Auschwitz. "The Seven Gas Chambers at Auschwitz." Auschwitz Gas Chambers. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2013.

Photo References:

http://www.awesomestories.com/images/user/daea7ef5c2.jpg

http://ww2history.com/key_moments/Holocaust/Murder_factory_at_Birkenau/

 

Again, these photos can make me speechless.

View of Birkenau's gas chamber.

 

Krakow- Auschwitz-Birkenau II

Auschwitz is one of the places I have wanted to visit. I know it will make me sad to see but I think with all the history that goes into this location it is a must see. Last year I visited Dachau in Germany and it was an emotional experience. There’s no doubt that this is a sad experience to have but it is also powerful. I have learned about concentration camps for years but after visiting one it becomes so real.

Auschwitz is located in Poland and was established May, 1940. Auschwitz was divided into three major camps: Auschwitz I (Stammlager), Auschwitz II (Birkenau) and Auschwitz III (Monowitz). Auschwitz-Birkenau was established as the extermination camp; there were two gas chambers at this camp. Auschwitz-Birkenau was the most notorious killing site of all time (Auschwitz-Birkenau).

After doing some research I found some history of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Death Camp. In 1939 Hitler annexed the old Polish town of Oswiecim to his Thrid Reich as Auschwitz. Only a short year later the Nazis started the conversion of the town’s abandoned barracks into a concentration camp. The first inmates arrived in 1940. In 1942, trainloads of European Jews started to come to Birkenau. Most of them were immediately killed in the Birkenau gas chambers (Auschwitz Death Camp). Horrible things happened at Auschwitz until finally in January 1945 Auschwitz was closed down.

After reading more about Auschwitz I am excited to go visit because being there in person will help me learn even more.

References:

Auschwitz-Birkenau. "Auschwitz-Birkenau Extermination Camp (Poland)." Auschwitz-Birkenau Extermination Camp (Poland). N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2013.

“Auschwitz Death Camp." Auschwitz. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2013.

Photo References:

http://www.goingwithmygut.com/.a/6a00e55404668688330120a5f875bf970c-pi

http://www.bluespotphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/galleries/post-1849/full/Auschwitz-Birkenau,%20Krakow,%20Poland.jpg

This picture is so powerful...

I am speechless when I see these photos

 

Budapest- Bridges over the Danube

I remember in class when we first saw a picture of Budapest and all the bridges across the city. I was so excited to go visit because I thought it was gorgeous! I cannot believe I will be there in less than a month! Budapest has eight bridges that span the Danube linking Buda and Pest. Each bridge has its own tale. These bridges are a vital part of Budapest transport infrastructure and popular tourist attractions at the same time (Bridges of Budapest).

The Megyeri Bridge is the first and the longest bridgeg of Budapest. Building for this bridge was from 2006-2008 by the architect Matyas Hunyadi (Bridges of Budapest).  Something I noticed in all the pictures was that there are two pylons built 300 meters from each other and are 100 meters high that form a letter ‘A’ on each. I thought that was an interesting landmark.

The next bridge is the Arpad Bridge named after the leader of the seven tribes of Magyars in the 9^th century. The architect was Janos Kossalka and the building period for this bridge was from 1939-1943, 1948-1950 and then broadening of the bridge from 1981-1984 (Bridges of Budapest).

Margaret Bridge was the second permanent bridge in Budapest, it was built by French engineer Ernest Gouin’s company. Something I learned looking more about this bridge is that it has seven pillars. The central pillar is situated directly next to Margaret Island which is one of the most frequented week-end picnic-areas of Budapest (Bridges of Budapest). I think it would be so cool to go there for a picnic and enjoy all the views!

Chain Bridge was the first permanent bridge between Buda and Pest. The architect was Adam Clark. This bridge has become the symbol of Budapest and is the most known bridge of the Hungarian capital. This is the oldest and most beautiful of bridges. This bridge is also the most photographed of Budapest’s bridges (Bridges of Budapest). It is also lit up at night; after seeing pictures of this bridge at night I am dying to go see it in person!

Elizabeth Bridge got its name from Queen Elizabeth. Architects were Aurel Czekelius, Antal Kherndl, Istvan Gallik and Jozsef Beke for the original Elizabeth Bridge. Unfortunately, this bridge along with others was blown up by German troops at the end of World War II. The architect for the new bridge was Pal Savoly and was built between 1960-1964 (Bridges of Budapest).

Liberty Bridge was originally named after Franz Joseph but then changed to Liberty Bridge. Something I thought that is interesting is that on top of each pillar is a Turul, which is the mythical Hungarian bird, standing on a golden ball (Bridges of Budapest).

Petofi Bridge is named after the revolutionary poet, Sandor Peofi. According to the website I learned that this is the least inspiring of all the Budapest bridges (Bridges of Budapest). There was not much about this bridge.

Lagymanyosi Bridge was built by Tibor Sigrai between 1992-1995 (Bridges of Budapest). I could not find much about this bridge either other than the fact it was built for a planned World exhibition that eventually never happened.

References:

Bridges of Budapest. "Bridges - Pictures, Tourist Information, History and Many More about All Bridges of Budapest." Bridges. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2013.

Photo References:

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/farkasb/farkasb1210/farkasb121000003/15731468-beautifully-lit-margaret-bridge-over-the-danube-at-dusk-in-budapest-hungary.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkNpJvX3UDMGbmgGE1U-MUGuvNScgLK8XXEvAjZRRxmstbqq-VtTKy-TYp0Z3Y0GUp3HHlQvWBWR4Bym0tjF8JUPUxju_sg2xIYfaxytlmDDXut9t54I2m3ntsPStWIPR8VR_AIDU2Q/s1600/080+bridges+over+Danube.jpg

I cannot wait to see this view at night!

This is breath-takiing and I am so excited to see it in person!

 

Vienna- Die Graben and the Prater

Prater is an enormous recreational parkland between the Donau river and the Donau canal. The most famous attraction of the Prater is the Riesenrad, a historic giant wheel (View on Cities). The prater includes large areas of green space, tennis courts, a large stadium, racecourses, a swimming pool and a planetarium. The biggest attractions for visitors are the Wurstelprater, the amusement park.

A little history I found about the Prater is that it originally was a hunting ground along the Donau River before it was opened to the public as a park. In 1873, Prater played host to a World Trade Fair (Views on Cities).

As I mentioned earlier the most famous attraction is the Riesendrad, which is part of the amusement park. This giant wheel was created by the British Engineer, Walter Basset. Now it is the only surviving example of a series of giant wheels that Basset erected; others that he created were in Paris and London but dismantled long ago (Views on Cities).

Graben is one of the most famous streets in Vienna’s city center. The streets name can be translated to ditch or trench. Most of the buildings on this street date back to the early 19^th century (Views on Cities).  I am excited to visit this area of Vienna because after researching it I learned that Graben is the heart of Vienna’s most famous shopping streets. The most popular shopping street in the center of Vienna, Karntner Strasse starts at one end of the Graben (Views on Cities). I shop a lot so I was really excited to find out more about his location.

References:

View on Cities. "Graben." , Vienna. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2013.

View on Cities. "Prater." , Vienna. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2013.

Photo References:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3603/3368392363_6e5184b03e.jpg

http://www.gothereguide.com/Images/Austria/Vienna/Vienna_Prater.jpg

 

View of Die Graben street! So excited to go shopping here!

 

View of Riesendrad!

 

 

Vienna- Schonbrunn Castle

Schonbrunn Castle lies very close to the center of Vienna, only about 4 miles out. The whole area including the gorgeous garden takes up 435 acres. According to the website Vews on Cities, it takes at least a half a day to visit the whole palace and garden. Some history I learned while researching this castle is that Emperor Maximilian II converted the existing castle inot a hunting lodge. As legend has it his son, Emperor Matthias, discovered a beautiful spring while hunting there and exclaimed ‘So ein schooner Brunnen’ (what a beautiful spring), which this led to the name Schonbrunn (Views on Cities). I thought that was something interesting because I do not think I would have just learned that while I was there so I am glad we have to do research about the places first.

After the Turkish destroyed the hunting lodge, Emperor Leopold I requested architect Joann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to construct a palace that would outshine Versailles. However, because of costly wars and other expenses, Leopold had to settle for a more modest design (Views on Cities).

After reading more about the interior of the castle I found that there are 1441 rooms and halls in the complex. The interior has both Baroque and Rococo styles. Most of the walls and ceilings are covered with white-lacquered surfaces with ornamentation covered with gold leaf (Schonbrunn Palace). Many of the rooms are shown to the public on guided tours.

As I mentioned in earlier blogs I love looking at castles! They are so beautiful to me and I am super excited to visit this one!

Schonbrunn Palace."Schönbrunn Palace." - VIENNA – NOW OR NEVER. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013.

References:

View on Cities. "Schönbrunn Palace." , Vienna. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013.

Photo References:

http://www.onedreamtravel.com/tourist-attractions-in-vienna/

http://www.schoenbrunn.at/uploads/tx_vcslides/Vieux-Laque-Zimmer_800x350_01.jpg

Beautiful view of Schonbrunn Castle!

This is just gorgeous!

Prague-Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge is a 14^th century stone bridge that links the two sides of Prague. This is the most historic bridge that crosses the Vltava River in Prague. This landmark is one of the city’s best attractions and is the main route connecting the Old Town with the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) and Prague Castle (Charles Bridge). I am most excited to go on this bridge because I read that from the view on the bridge you get beautiful views of the Prague skyline. I love looking at city skylines! I was just in San Francisco and fell in love with their skyline; it really got me excited to be abroad and see even more gorgeous views.

When you are on Charles Bridge you are in the center of the city. During the day the bridge is full of tourists, street artists, sketchers, and musicians. The bridge seems to be less busy during early morning or late evening (Charles Bridge).

More about the history of Charles Bridge is that King Charles IV appointed the bridge. King Charles favorite architect, Peter Parler, oversaw the majority of the work. The entrance to Charles Bridge is marked at both ends by towers; the Old Town Bridge Tower and the Mala Strana Bridge Tower (Charles Bridge).

Today, the Charles Bridge is famous mostly for the series of Baroque statues (View on Cities). Many of the original statues have been replaced by copies since most of them were sandstone sculptures and were badly affected by the elements or were damaged during the frequent floods. The originals are now displayed in a museum (View on the Cities). I think it would be so cool to walk down this bridge and look at the many famous statues!

References:

View on Cities. "Charles Bridge." , Prague. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013.

"Charles Bridge." In Prague. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013.

Photo References:

http://picturesfromprague.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/prague-castle-and-charles-bridge.jpg

http://www.pragueexperience.com/images/photos/large/charles_bridge.jpg

I am obsessed with this photo!

I am so excited to walk across this bridge!

 

 

Dresden- Zwinger Palace

Zwinger Palace in Dresden is most famous around the world for its beautiful baroque architecture. This palace was built during the reign of Augustus the Strong in 1709. Augustus the Strong was an elector of Saxony and the future king of Poland at the time (Zwinger Palace-Dresden’s). The sandstone palace was built between 1710 and 1719 by Matthaus Daniel Poppelmann (Zwinger Palace). This architecture was one of the many we talked about in our class over spring semester.

Today, many museums are inside of the Zwinger Palace. Something interesting that I found about the museums is that to this day, the gallery contains the world’s most important collection of paintings dating from the baroque to the Renaissance period. One of these paintings would be the famous Sistine Madonna by Raphael (Zwinger Palace). I hope we can go inside this building because I think it would be so amazing to see all the painting collections.

After researching more about this palace I learned that along with the beautiful architecture and museums there are lovely gardens , gorgeous pavilions and picturesque fountains (Zwinger Palace-Dresden’s). This only made me more excited because as a lot of people know this about me I am obsessed with flowers and gardens! I am super excited to go visit this palace now!

References:

"Zwinger Palace — Dresden’s Exquisite Royal Residence." MyGermanCitycom RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013.

Zwinger Palace. "Zwinger Palace – a Baroque Gem from the Time of Augustus the Strong. | Tourism in Germany – Travel, Breaks, Holidays." Zwinger Palace – a Baroque Gem from the Time of Augustus the Strong. | Tourism in Germany – Travel, Breaks, Holidays. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013.

Photo References:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/2784195415_96f80b5c3e.jpg

http://www.travel-images.com/pht/germany108.jpg

Absolutely breath-taking view

Just simply beautiful!

Leipzig- St. Thomas Church

St. Thomas Church is a Lutheran church in Leipzig, Germany. I really hope to visit inside this church. It is a beautiful church and it would be amazing to even attend a service inside. This church is so famous because it is the place where Johann Sebastian Bach worked and where his remains are (Thomas Kirche). There is a statue of Bach outside of the church.

This church dates back to the 12^th Century and started off with Romanesque architecture. Areas were later rebuilt into Gothic style (Thomas Kirche). Another fact I found while researching St. Thomas Church was that in 1539 Martin Luther preached the implementation of the reformation. I thought it was pretty interesting that such important people were a part of the success of this church. I believe the church is full of tourist visitors because of the famous people. According to the Thomas Kirche website, “visitors from all over the world come to Leipzig to observe church services in the St. Thomas Church and to take pleasure in concerts and organ music.”

After reading the Thomas Kirche website I learned that the St. Thomas Church was able to have a total restoration after 100 years of neglect. This project was finished in 2000 and was the 250^th anniversary of Bach’s death. During this time the St. Thomas Church received a new Bach-Organ.  I am very excited to see this church after learning more about it!

References:

Thomas Kirche. "Die Thomaskirche..." Thomaskirche Leipzig. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013.

Photo References: http://www.germany.travel/media/content/staedte___kultur_1/musik/liszt_1/Thomana_3_1024x768.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmb695Es3RdcwvGETXgaMmAxI4e2GTkPyQd9W5eWa-oc5S3vOeqR_FRgzL-eruYYThBhfVZ90dKirMYds8xcEhp5aQN5uxeNG3JzThKm3rjKKPtFTr76yf2IyMdM_-Qe86kWzgKZNvnjh8/s1600/Bach+18.jpg

View of beautiful St. Thomas Church

Gorgeous inside interior

Berlin- Jewish Museum

This museum in Berlin is one of the largest Jewish Museums in Europe. This museum exhibits the social, political and cultural history of the Jews in Germany from the 4^th century to the present (Studio Daniel Libeskind). The first Jewish Museum in Berlin was closed down by the Nazi regime. A few years later the “Association for a Jewish Museum” formed and established a Jewish Department which wanted to dedicate a Jewish history part in the Berlin Museum. The Jewish Museum connects to the old Berlin Museum. The design of the building is a twisted zig-zag and is accessible only from an underground passage from the Berlin Museum.  Another underground tunnel connects the Museum to the Holocaust Tower. After learning that it got me really excited because I really want to go to this Museum and learn as much as I can.

After learning more about the Jewish Museum I learned that it was opened in September 2001 by architect Daniel Libeskind. Since the beginning of the opening the Jewish Museum has been a magnet for the public. The architecture was certainly the cause for this initial popularity (A Perfectly Normal Museum).

References:

"A Perfectly Normal Museum?" Jewish Museum Berlin. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013.

"Studio Daniel Libeskind." Jewish Museum Berlin. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013.

Photo References:                                           

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/JewishMuseumBerlinAerial.jpg/300px-JewishMuseumBerlinAerial.jpg

http://content.architectureoflife.net/Content/ArticleContent/berlin%20jewish%20museum/aol_03_-jewish_museum_berlin.jpeg

Zig-Zag view

View of building

Berlin- Charlottenburg Palace

Charlottenburg Palace is the largest palace in Berlin. I absolutely love visiting palaces and castles because I think they are so beautiful and after reading more about this palace I learned that the inside is decorated in baroque and rococo styles. When I was abroad last time one of my favorite parts of travelling was seeing all the beautiful architecture and designs. From what I have read this palace is a popular tourist attraction.

A little history that I researched is that this palace is the largest residence of the Hohenzollern in Berlin. This palace was built by Frederick III as a summer residence for his wife Sophie Charlotte back in 1699 (Stiftung Preußische Schlösser). I also found out that it also serves as a museum of international standing and is a popular destination for excursions as well as a venue for cultural events and social functions (Charlottenburg Palace). I look forward to visiting this palace and learning more in person.

References:

Charlottenburg Palace. Royal Prussia in Berlin. Rudolf G. Scharmann.

"Stiftung Preußische Schlösser Und Gärten | SPSG | Schloss Charlottenburg." Stiftung Preußische Schlösser Und Gärten | SPSG | Schloss Charlottenburg. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2013.

Photo References:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Schloss_Charlottenburg_Berlin_2007.jpg

http://marksquires.com/Images_Photos/porce.jpg

Interior decoration

Gorgeous view of the palace