Taking a toddler to Auschwitz

[Dref]

Hello,

Would really appreciate advice about this. My husband and I are on holiday in Krakow and would personally like to visit Auschwitz in order to deepen our appreciation of and understanding of the WW2. It seems older children and babies have been accompanied adults but threads we read on Trip Advisor about small children became emotional and angry towards the posters, describing them as outrageously wrong to take young children. Has anyone taken young children? What do people think? Should we accept we can't visit? May not go to Poland again. Our child is 18 months old.

Thanks!

I personally don't think it's a place for children and don't think I'd take them until they're old enough to understand what happened there. But saying that I went when I was 11. And was scared. I had just enough to knowledge of what went on, and was also at that age where I was bored of museums. So probably didn't appreciate it for what it is.

Dh and I are going to Poland next year and are planning on going back. I remember it being so quiet. And really eerie. And am thinking that I'll actually find it really upsetting. Because I'm old enough to really fully understand.

Dh is wondering if it's a good idea. As I was super emotional at ground zero when we went last year. Tears all over the place. I could have single handedly filled the fountains.

I took a group of older teens. I think that was the right age to go, the one that tried to mess about was sharply sat on by mates and they were young enough for it to inform their world view yet old enough to have a significant amount of empathy

It states on their website that Auschwitz is not recommended for under 14s.

It is somewhere I have wanted to visit for a long time as my (Jewish) grandfather lost a lot of relatives in the concentration camps.

No.
Have been and not somewhere I would take a child. Also unfair on other visitors.

I can't imagine a less appropriate place to take a toddler

I was 13 i think and i went with school. I think i was too young but its a memory that will stay with me too. Certainly woukdnt take a child,

No. 100% no.

Whathaveilost - I wouldn't take my 10 year old either, no child should see that place.

It's the most harrowing place I have ever visited. I am very glad that I did go, but it is a devastating experience.

tribot. I think I made the right decision. That 10 /11 year old as he was. is now 19 and regularly goes to Kracow but still hasn't been to Auschwitz. He said he will go one day but not yet.

Agreed, whathaveIlost. I hope he will go one day but it definitely has to be his choice and at the right time.

I'm flabbergasted that someone actually needs to ask this

Please don't OP. For many people this is a very disturbing and deeply emotional trip, often their visit to the place of their relatives' deaths. People come from all over the world to have the opportunity to be there and grieve and its completely unfair of you to take a toddler.

Obviously it is important for you to go if you have the opportunity but without your toddler for the reasons given.

Why don't you go separately whilst the other looks after your DC? I think that is the best solution.

YABVVU.

Really? Really!?

You couldn't pay me enough to visit. I grew up in the shadow of world war ll so can remember very vividly the unease that was still around.

I'm also very sensitive to atmospheres as many young children are and know I would be deeply affected.

I wouldn't visit the titanic museum in Orlando for the same reason. Rather crassly they gave you a ticket with a passengers name on and at the end you found out if they lived or died .wtf?

I can understand relatives wanting to go though.

What on earth has Titanic got to do with Orlando? Americans can be totally crass at times!!! Don't take a child to a concentration camp. 14 means 14.