Arbeit Macht Frei, Auschwitz-I
Auschwitz I, 2023
The sign is still there. People walk under it. Slowly.
The sound of gravel under shoes. No-one speaks loudly here.
You walk under the sign that was meant to reassure. And which does the opposite.
Some read the words aloud. Others just walk by. The sound of gravel under shoes.
No-one speaks out loud. Not here.
Iron letters bend over the gate. A few visitors walk through.
A woman straightens her scarf. A man lowers his voice.
The ground is clean, but nobody looks down. Everyone has seen the picture before. Now it’s quiet.