Schlinder's Factory & the centre of Krakow

SO today started at 4:30am which was a lovely cold start in Bristol (yay) to catch our 6:30am flight to Krakow. 

Upon arrival in the capital, -8 temperatures snow and arctic winds were the last thing I was expecting. We arrived at our hotel around 11am, then ventured into the city centre to have a wonder and see what it had to offer. Our hotel is located 5 minutes from the Jewish getto and the city centre. we found a lovely little polish cafe to have a much needed coffee/hot drink. Some of the next photos are of the city centre: 

We found a lovely cafe to warm up in- accompanied by a cheeky breakfast and a huge coffee!! 

Once we had finished here, we wondered back (and got lost in the now -10 temperatures) to our hotel and booked a taxi to Schlinder's factory. We then had a 2 hour tour which was very informative and quite emotional-! Here are some of the photos that I took there- 

In this photo German soldiers had hung some Jewish prisoners- this was pre final solution. Notice how the German guards are smiling. 

This was just one of the photos of all the Jewish people that Oskar Schlindler saved by employing them in his working factory. There were another 3 panes just like this one. 

Liberation and Revenge 'Inside the Nazi state' Notes

SS files were removed and burnt, gas chambers burnt pre-red army overrule. Nazi SS tried to destroy all proof of what they were doing. e.g. murders torcher etc. 

27th January 1945 - soviet 60th army army overruled Auschwitz.

84 days post Auschwitz liberation, the soviet army invaded Berlin.

Nazi leaders told to hide themselves within the armed forces, so that they were not found and murdered by allies. 

All SS guards had their blood types tattooed underneath their arms, although not all guards had them that had previously worked in Auschwitz; so many escaped. 

1) Rudolf Hoss former commandant of Auschwitz worked on a farm to protect his identity; under a different name. British arrested his wife and questioned her for 5 days, she proclaimed he was dead. on the 6th day, her son would be sent to Russia, or she could write down where her husband was and she'd go free with her son together. 

2) the British army stormed the farm at 11pm that night. The British Army hit him so much he nearly died, as they obviously knew of his crimes. 
Apparently he acted as a 'normal' person, had no emotion or any sense of guilt. He showed pride in his accomplishments.

3) Subsequently, he faced trial and was sentenced to death by hanging. This took place in Auschwitz.