Auschwitz I

Our arrival at Auschwitz I saw us get in line for a guided tour of the facility. At the time we were visiting there it was mandatory to take a guided tour. Individuals or groups were forbidden from wandering around without guides.
Sol and I joined an English speaking group and were led around the various camp features by a young Polish tour guide. I personally have never seen someone as knowledgeable about the true facts relating to the facility she was showing to us in great detail.
She was a no nonsense person who told it like it was and did not sugar coat any facts even those damning towards her Polish compatriots. Her great advantage of course was the fact that her grandfather and later her father both worked in this camp as electricians and general maintenance personnel.
She relayed the fact that her grandfather had worked there prior to and during all the war years. With such an in house knowledge base her facts were accurate and quite stunning. More importantly, the way she relayed her information was with a blunt truthfulness that belied any potential for criticism of her information. She was a true conveyor of truth and frankness rarely seen in todays world. There was no holding back from criticizing her own Polish countrymen or the Allies who supposedly were on the right side of evil.
Her conclusions were so powerful and emotive it was frankly very difficult to ever again believe the rhetoric fed to us through history books and biased commentators. We got the real story from her and it was so obvious she was as honest as the day is long.
Both Sol and I were blessed to have had this young person guide us through this depraved rat hole rather than some fool who had an agenda on behalf of someone or some organisation disseminating a false narrative to simply deflect from the real truth.
It was like she was speaking from her grandfather's heart in relaying the truth about what went on in this place. We had been privileged to hear her words and it will always remain one of the most important memories of our entire European visit.