I don’t know……

I remember when i was in DC, at the Holocaust Memorial, there was an exhibition, for children’s only, called "Daniel’s Story", or something like that. For children since age 8. They explained the Holocaust facts in a way a child could understand….

I wouldn’t take my child there… but now, i don’t have kids so i can’t really tell!

Probably too depressing for anyone, but educational and sobering enough to overshadow that.

I don’t have kids either, but I think that I would take them if I did.

I remember the first time i knew about Hitler i was around 8… there was this TV show about him, so i asked my dad if he was good or bad.

His answer : "Bad. He used to burn families alive inside their houses".

Let’s say it was the nicest way to put it.

"Daniel’s Story" came through our town and I did take my then-9 year old and it was fine.
I think I over-protected my youngest.
If you have the opportunity to take your kid there, I say go for it.
I suppose I agree with jkfaust. The benefits outweigh the worries.
Just be there for your kid.
There has been such horror in our world history, and it is better to acknowledge it than to ignore it.

Do NOT join a guided tour in the Auschwitz I camp, where they tell you stories which are even gross for an adult stomach, i.e. how people were tortured, how they made their first tests with gas (but the victims didn´t die) and so on. Keep the girl also away from the exhibitions inside the buildings in Auschwitz I. There are lots of photos of dead prisoners, mass graves etc.
I think it should be OK to visit the both camps (Auschwitz I and II) and walk around. If you do a bit reading before you go it will give you a very clear impression about what happened there. A 9-year-old girl is old enough to learn that many people have been killed there. She just shouldn´t see all the nasty details how that was done.

I’ve never been there myself but my parents did bring me to the museum in DC when I was 11 or 12. I was a sensitive child and what I saw there did touch me, but not in the nightmare-scary way. I think it depends on your daughter.

A scary adventure story about Norwegian children outwitting the Nazi SS was part of the 5th grade curriculum for my son and The Diary of Ann Frank is standard curriculum for Jr. High. If your daugher doesn’t already know about the holocast, she will soon. Talk to her about what she knows and how she feels. My son was 14 when we went to Dachau and he knew way more about it and the logistics of how it ran than we did. I think I would have taken him to Dachau at 9.

However, Dachau (a concentration camp) is pretty tame compared Auschwitz (a death camp). Plus the Poles are much more anxious to tell and show the story in gruesome detail than the Germans are.

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However, Dachau (a concentration camp) is pretty tame compared Auschwitz (a death camp).

That´s true.

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Plus the Poles are much more anxious to tell and show the story in gruesome detail than the Germans are.

This implies that the Germans are apologetic about the holocaust – they aren´t. I know someone who works for the Dachau concentration camp memorial site – he does English translations of the material they show and/or hand out. They are taking this very seriously.

You will hear very gruesome details in either camp if you do the guided tour. They show a film in Dachau where people frequently leave the audience because they can´t stand it.

So again – I recommend to visit the sites but to avoid the guided tours (and films) if you are visiting them with a child.

Where’s Dachau?

Btw, silly question: is the guide in English?

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Where’s Dachau?

Btw, silly question: is the guide in English?

Dachau was one of the first concentration camps, opened 60 days (!) after the Nazis seized power. It´s 30 minutes from Munich.

Close to Munich is also the town of Nurnberg where the Nazi Documentation Center is located (Hitler’s headquarters so to speak). There’s an express train that zips you there from Munich in 1.5 hours.

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Where’s Dachau?

Btw, silly question: is the guide in English?

Dachau was one of the first concentration camps, opened 60 days (!) after the Nazis seized power. It´s 30 minutes from Munich.

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Close to Munich is also the town of Nurnberg where the Nazi Documentation Center is located (Hitler’s headquarters so to speak). There’s an express train that zips you there from Munich in 1.5 hours.

I have only been there once for an afternoon. I didn´t find the documentation center too informative. The Zeppelinfeld, where they held their party rallies is pretty interesting to get an impression about Nazi architecture, but so is the Olympic stadium in Berlin as well.

The city of Nuremberg is well worth a visit though. It was a very powerful and wealthy city-state for centuries. Much of it was destroyed during WW2 bombings, so there are lots of 50ies-concrete-boxes in the old town, but many buildings have been restored.

@ sourlemonpie: sure, there are guides who speak english in Dachau and Auschwitz. Even in Spanish.

In Spanish? That’s awesome!

Come on, I´m sure the Colegio Alemán in Lima has tought you more than just "Radiergummi"! You should be up for the challenge and do the tours with a German guide!

I went to Auschwitz last year, when I was 22…I was emotionally wrecked afterward. This place is way more emotional than any other holocaust memorial I’ve ever visited. I agree that you shouldn’t take the guided tour if you’re bringing your kid.
Basically, it’s a judgement call on your part. If you know you’re kid can handle heavy issues, then definitely bring her.

I went to an italian school

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I went to an italian school

So you speak Italian and don´t want to go to Italy?

Hahaha, nooo,it’s not like i don’t want to go. I like Roma’s history and stuff…. ive heard it’s hella expensive, but i am lost about where to stay and which places to visit. It’s not off my list yet!

Anywhere south of Rome it´ll be dead cheap (maybe with the ecxeption of Capri and the Amalfi coast).

How about Rome?

I bet it’s ficken expensive.

Not necessarily when you go in November. I just checked – you gan get a dorm bed in a good hostel for 18 Euros now. In July you´ll pay 35.

I need to find about to the touristic places of it. I am kind of lost. I need to recheck my school’s books!

And back to Auschwitz. I think it was the first place in my must see list.

Get a Lonely Planet, it´ll give you a good idea.

Im waiting for 2007 to get the new one!

Good idea, should be available in March.

Consider a "Let´s Go: Europe". They are updated every year (LP only every 2nd year) and the new ones usually available in December already. Besides, as everyone has a LP all recommended places will be full, overrun by tourists and have doubled their prices since they are recommended in the LP now.

MARCH?

I think i’ll go for the other book.

Do that, in my opinion it´s better anyway.

Im frigging curious about it. I will buy it asap.

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I have a 9 yr. old and would love to include Auschwitz in my travel. My daughter and I will be going in July. Do you think that this would be to depressing for a young gilr?

Hi Janice..I jsut got back from Poland and did visit Auschwitz. When I was there..I saw a lot of school kids there (they’re required to visit one concentration camp for education). They seemed like they were in jr high school if not high school. 9 yrs old might be alittle too young. I took pics of Auschwitz while I was on my trip..you can take a look here and see if it would be too young for your daughter to see some of this stuff.

http://www.imagestat…

It is an amazing place that shouldn’t be missed if you’re in the area.

Well, as I am German I have visited lots of concentration camps, it´s part of our historical education and I was member of a special history group in school.
I think that a child of 9 years is to young to visit Auschwitz. Even adults cannot understand what happened and are shocked after leaving that historical place but adults can talk about that to overcome what they have seen.
We adults know what to do so that things like that won´t happen again but I think that a child would just be afraid.

I can just talk about how my parents tried to explain me our history. They gave me the "Diary of Anne Frank" and we talked about that time. Afterwards we visited Bergen-Belsen, the concentration camp where Anne Frank died. There is just a documentation center at Bergen Belsen and no houses,…. Just huge graves…
Some years later, I was 12 or 13, we visited "Buchenwald" next to Weimar. There is a museum, you can see the old buildings and you can imagine how it looked like before.
I was glad that I didn´t visit Auschwitz when I was a child. The way my parents and my teachers took I was able to learn about history and to understand what has happened with respect but without fear.

I think "Escape from Sobibor" was one of the first movies i watched about Holocaust.

Still.. if i am … let’s say, Berlin…. is it too far to get there?

I don’t think a 9-year old is "too young." I think he/she is perfectly capable of leanring and understanding what went on at Auschwitz.

I am sorry if I am hijacking this post a bit here.

Would Auschwitz be close enough to Vienna to make it a day trip or is it too far (by train)?

Auschwitz is outside Krakow, Poland which is roughly 450KM and 7 hours by train from Vienna, Austria — plus about an hour to get to the camp from Krakow.

Munich is roughly the same distance but only 4 hours by train from Vienna. Dachau is about 20 minutes from town in a Munich suburb. It was a concentration camp, not a death camp like Auschwitz, so definitely not "the same" but it’s a chilling, thought-provoking visit.

Back to the original post… This pasted from the official website for Auschwitz:

quote:It is recommended that children under 14 not visit the Memorial

Thanks Old Lady.

On the original topic, I tjhink it would depend on the child incolved. Some kids would cope no problem others could have nightmares afterwards. I would probably only take my son about now (14) and he is very easy going.

Posted on: Fri, 10/11/2006 – 21:16 #1

I think “Escape from Sobibor” was one of the first movies i watched about Holocaust.

Still.. if i am … let’s say, Berlin…. is it too far to get there?

My father made me watch that as a young child (8 or 9) and I must say- i had nightmares for a month. But I remember him telling me that people would deny it happened, and it has always been in the back of my mind.. however I could have used briefing for it.

i’ve never been to auschwitz- going when i’m there in Sept, but it does have warnings on the website for 14 and up. As long as you can talk to your child it is good… but without it can def. leave emotional scarring.

I knwo that when we had to watch that same movie in middle school i was terrified cuz I remembered the nightmares as a child…. so it left a mark- and dad’s mission was accomplished. I never denied it happened, never will, and have always had an interest in the holocause

note: i know this is probably way old… but it popped up in my search

I’ve been to Auschwitz the first time of my life this Wednesday, August 13th. It is extremely moving, tears were rolling down my cheeks. I’d recommend it to everyone. According to my opinion, even children aged 10 or older, with proper explanation, could visit that place. It would probably be a shock for them, but would also give a lot to think about and make them a better person.

From Berlin, it is about 200 km (125 mi) to Oswiecim (that’s the proper Polish name of the city, Auschwitz was a German name, today related just to the camp). By train, the most convenient connection is to take a train from Berlin to Poznan, then change, travel to Czechowice Dziedzice and change again for Oswiecim. Or, just travel to Poznan and try to find a direct bus from Poznan to Oswiecim.