Some idiot thought installing mist showers at Auschwitz was a good idea

Whoever dreamed up this idea either has a pathetically ill-advised sense of humor, or they simply don’t know the history behind the Auschwitz death camp.

Some genius decided that building a row of mist showers for visitors at the entrance to the former Nazi concentration camp turned museum would go over well. Amazingly, no one seemed to realize the horrific memories and images that would emerge before the showers were installed.

Really?

Museum visitor Meyer Bolka told local media that seeing the showers was like a “punch in the gut.”

Pic shows: The showers sprayed a special fine mist of water in order to help visitors of the Auschwitz concentration camp museum cool off. Polish managers of the Auschwitz concentration camp museum have been accused of insensitivity after putting up cold showers at the entrance to help visitors cool off. The showers sprayed a special fine mist of water in order to help visitors cool off but for many visitors it had the opposite effect. The move resulted in angry complaints to management led by a group of Israeli visitors over the weekend who said that anyone who saw the showers could not help get past the gas chamber connotation. Meyer Bolka, an Israeli visiting the museum, told local media: "As soon as I got off the bus I walked into the shower contraption. I was in shock. It was a punch to the gut. I walked up to the reception and asked the worker there about the showers, she said it was a hot day." He said as a Jewish person being sprayed with a shower when turning up at the Auschwitz concentration camp was a shock and it was a clear reminder for him of the horrors of the gas chamber. He added that while some of the young Israeli visitors did not seem to be bothered by the location of the mist showers, and had even used them, older visitors had been very angry. He said: "I think that in a place like this they should have thought about the type of connotation this would raise. If you want to cool the people down, you need to find another solution. It was not a pleasant sight to see those sprinklers." Auschwitz museum management meanwhile have issued a statement saying they didn't mean to cause any offence, and that the showers had been introduced for the comfort of visitors on what was supposed to be the hottest day of the year. However they have arranged a panel to review the location of the showers for future visitors. (ends)
Via the Daily Mail

“As soon as I got off the bus, I walked into the shower contraption. I was in shock,” Bolka said.

“I walked up to the reception and asked the worker there about the showers, she said it was a hot day.”

From the Daily Mail:

The museum management have since issued a statement saying they did not mean to cause offence, and that the showers had been introduced for the comfort of visitors.

However, they said they will review the location of the showers for future visitors.

They also added: ‘It is really hard for us to comment on some suggested historical references since the mist sprinklers do not look like showers and the fake showers installed by Germans inside some of the gas chambers were not used to deliver gas into them.

‘Zyklon B was dropped inside the gas chambers in a completely different way – through holes in the ceiling or airtight drops in walls.’

Pic shows: The showers sprayed a special fine mist of water in order to help visitors of the Auschwitz concentration camp museum cool off. Polish managers of the Auschwitz concentration camp museum have been accused of insensitivity after putting up cold showers at the entrance to help visitors cool off. The showers sprayed a special fine mist of water in order to help visitors cool off but for many visitors it had the opposite effect. The move resulted in angry complaints to management led by a group of Israeli visitors over the weekend who said that anyone who saw the showers could not help get past the gas chamber connotation. Meyer Bolka, an Israeli visiting the museum, told local media: "As soon as I got off the bus I walked into the shower contraption. I was in shock. It was a punch to the gut. I walked up to the reception and asked the worker there about the showers, she said it was a hot day." He said as a Jewish person being sprayed with a shower when turning up at the Auschwitz concentration camp was a shock and it was a clear reminder for him of the horrors of the gas chamber. He added that while some of the young Israeli visitors did not seem to be bothered by the location of the mist showers, and had even used them, older visitors had been very angry. He said: "I think that in a place like this they should have thought about the type of connotation this would raise. If you want to cool the people down, you need to find another solution. It was not a pleasant sight to see those sprinklers." Auschwitz museum management meanwhile have issued a statement saying they didn't mean to cause any offence, and that the showers had been introduced for the comfort of visitors on what was supposed to be the hottest day of the year. However they have arranged a panel to review the location of the showers for future visitors. (ends)
Via the Daily Mail

Featured image via Flickr

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.

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