The Auschwitz Memorial Has Had to Ask Visitors to Stop Taking 'Playful' Photos at the Site

You would think some places are so sacred that no one would dare take a “fun” photo there, but I guess we can all be surprised by how insensitive people are.

It is frankly mind-blowing to think that anyone would visit the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland and think to take playful photos at a site where over 1 million people were murdered. I can tell you from my personal experience, visiting Auschwitz in 2003 was one of the most sobering days of my entire life.

But, due to the fact that visitors have been posting inappropriate photos from Auschwitz to social media, the memorial site had to put a tweet out admonishing that kind of ridiculous behavior.

When you come to @AuschwitzMuseum remember you are at the site where over 1 million people were killed. Respect their memory. There are better places to learn how to walk on a balance beam than the site which symbolizes deportation of hundreds of thousands to their deaths. pic.twitter.com/TxJk9FgxWl

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) March 20, 2019

The infamous train tracks of Auschwitz carried untold numbers of people to their deaths, and to see people acting this way has upset many. People on Twitter were taken aback by the trend and weighed in with their own opinions.

This is a very necessary post, our picture-taking habits are completely out of control. I may be visting in the summer, I will make sure I am aware of your photography policy. Thank you for all the essential work you continue to do. Without our historical memory we are nothing.

— Francesca (@Just__Fran) March 20, 2019

https://twitter.com/tippotate/status/1108359980430909440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1108359980430909440&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailydot.com%2Firl%2Fauschwitz-memorial-instagram%2F

https://twitter.com/dailypaint/status/1108469177998864384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1108469177998864384&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailydot.com%2Firl%2Fauschwitz-memorial-instagram%2F

https://twitter.com/mdjcrimmins/status/1108513573335154688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1108513573335154688&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-world%2Fnational%2Farticle228418434.html

There are simply no words for this kind of disrespect

— Ricky Edwards (@spongelover90) March 20, 2019

The Auschwitz Memorial later added these tweets.

It's simple: be respectful. https://t.co/qqb5rbwZur

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) March 23, 2019

Smiling is human. There are also human stories from #Auschwitz that can make people smile. You do not have to be solemn and stern all the time. Yet, there are some things which are simply disrespectful.

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) March 20, 2019

If you’re visiting a place where unfathomable atrocities took place, have some respect and be aware enough not to take cute selfies. Thank you.