Homebodies - Their story must be told
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- Published on Monday, June 25, 2018
By Rita Friesen
Neepawa Banner & Press
Once again I had the privilege of taking a vacation. Time in Poland, the Isle of Iona, and the city of Edinburgh allowed me to see new scenes, feel uncomfortable emotions, and play with a lifetime friend.
Our first stop was Krakow, our accommodation at the heart of the old city, a block from a never quiet square. After taking a day or two to get our bearings, we headed out on a tour of the Auswhitch/ Birkenau concentration camps. Oh, my. I was ever so thankful that the sun was shining and the tour guide factual, not fanciful, and I was with a friend. I could not help but contrast my experience and emotions on Juno and Omaha beaches, and my experience and emotion at these camps. The beaches, though they witnessed carnage and suffered a bloodbath, were, for me, tranquil and serene, as if those who sacrificed their lives for my freedoms, knew appreciation and the loss has been acknowledged. I felt a great deal of unfinished business at the camps. The atmosphere heavy and sad, restless souls still seeking vindication. The two scenes inter wove again as we exited the grounds. Our last stop was the killing yard, just outside the isolation chambers and interrogation rooms. As we stepped into the open air and sunshine, from high in the tree tops came the welcome and encouraging song of birds. In my mind I heard – ‘the larks, still bravely singing fly. We are the dead, short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunsets glow….take up the quarrel with the foe, if you break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep..’ For me, in that moment, the parallels were overpowering. If we break faith…the story, their story, must be told and understood so as to never be repeated in history.
Needless to say we needed a quiet day to process and recoup. We had toured the Krakow ghetto and the cemetery before the tour, and read many a book, so the tour was a verification, a reality check. The names on the walls and in the books…
Enjoyed the day at Wawel castle – did you know that a Royal tapestry can have up to one kilo of real gold thread? That’s what enhances the deep colours, and whereas a common tapestry can be completed in a few months, a royal one may take a year or more to complete. Many steps to the highest point, presenting a fantastic view of the city, and many steps way down, to the Dragon’s Den, and an exit on the shores of the Vistula River.
There were many cathedrals calling for our time, and so we responded as best we could. One evening we caught a concert at the church of Saints Peter and Paul- the classics, Vivaldi and Pachelbel’s Canon. Majestic.
Several questions plagued me. Every church was open to the public, many had individuals kneeling in prayer or sitting in quiet contemplation. If we had all of our churches open, would folks come in and sit down? One Sunday morning the church was packed to overflowing, individuals kneeling outside on the cobblestones. Why not here?
