This Thursday, the students from Louis Nucera, Blanche de Castille, Saint-Joseph, Catherine Ségurane, l’Archet, Port Lympia of Nice, Saint-Philippe Néri of Antibes, and Les Campelières of Mougins took a plane to visit the large extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The Gate of Death
The visit begins at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. The main gate, nicknamed the Gate of Death, is undergoing repairs. Those who passed through it were taken directly to the gas chambers. Entry is made on one side, where those deemed fit for work entered the camp. 
The village of Birkenau was razed, and the red bricks of the barracks were reused from the destroyed houses. The first barracks were named the women’s quarters. The weakest were not fed. They did not work and were therefore not useful to the Nazis; no money was spent on those who awaited death inside or in the courtyard.
Destruction
The gas chambers operated continuously. The women, children, and men thought they were going to take a shower. They were given soap and asked to fold their belongings, as if they would retrieve them. They had to undress in a first room. In the next, 2000 people were crammed together. The doors closed, and the gas spread in the room. Twenty minutes later, the bodies were transported to the crematoriums.
In a single oven, at the same time, the Nazis would place a woman, a child, and a man. Due to their extreme thinness, they could fit three people. The Germans decided to destroy the evidence of their murders before the arrival of the Russians and Americans. The gas chambers and crematoriums of Auschwitz II camp were destroyed.
The last gas chamber (visitable), used as a bunker before the liberation by the Germans, is located here. It is the most difficult part of the visit. In this camp turned into a museum, one can find photographs of deceased people, hair, shoes, suitcases, and even kitchen utensils that belonged to the detainees.
The students paid tribute to the victims by reading texts, laying wreaths, and observing a minute of silence. 
It was a true day of remembrance, unforgettable for everyone involved.
