In light of a recent post about the Budapest shoes memorial I thought I would share some images that I took recently when my wife and I visited the concentration camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Warning, some of the images might be disturbing to some. While I was familiar of what happened here I was taken aback by many of the things I didn't realize. We had a very knowledgeable Polish guide escorting us through the different sites. One of the appalling and horrible things I learned was how the "Killing Machine", responsible for taking the lives of so many people, evolved into a well oiled business venture bent on maximizing profits for the German war machine. From the early stages where bullets were used, to the roving carbon-monoxide converted trucks, to the early inefficient gas-chambers to finally a cost-saving method of burning the bodies efficiently and saving coal. Nothing belonging to the murdered prisoners was spared,even the hair shaved from their heads was bundled in Kg bags and sold for profit. The hair was used for making a burlap textured fabric. I could go on, but I don't think it's really necessary. All of the pictures I took were processed to Black & White because there was nothing colorful about the visit or the experience that will stay with me.