A MOVING account has been written by two Greenhead College students after a visit to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz.

Religious studies students Ruth Davies and Nick Smith joined more than 200 pupils from schools and colleges in the area on the trip to Poland as part of The Lessons from Auschwitz project.

The project was organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust.

Simon Barratt, head of religious studies at the college, said: “Both students have written about what the experience meant to them, what lessons they learned and how they can be used to tackle prejudices today.”

Both Ruth and Nick, who are in the second year of their A-level studies at Greenhead, will give a presentation to other students about the visit later this month.

Ruth said: “For me, the most striking and moving aspect of Auschwitz was the building containing the belongings of the murdered prisoners.

“There were innumerable shoes, pots and pans, suitcases, toothbrushes and other items people brought with them when they were told they were being ‘relocated’ to somewhere better.

“By far the most shocking sight was the two-ton pile of human hair, much of it still in pigtails and containing ribbons.

“One of the most important lessons this trip has taught me is that we must all try and challenge prejudice in our everyday lives, be it racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, sexism or any other form of discrimination.

“If, as a society, we sit back and do nothing while others are persecuted and the ignorant few are allowed to spread their messages of hate, then we are no better than the Nazi Germans of the 1930s.

“The victims of the Holocaust must not be forgotten, and neither should the victims of prejudice today.”

Nick added: “Having visited the death camps themselves, and having witnessed the unimaginable horrors that had taken place there, a clear lesson that I have learned from my visit is that all forms of racism and discrimination are wrong.

“After visiting Auschwitz for myself, I can only best describe it as a unique and indescribable experience, and would urge everyone to go and visit the place for themselves, as it serves as a stark reminder of what humanity is capable of when racism goes unchallenged.

“I feel more than ever before that all forms of discrimination should be stamped out at all levels in today’s society.

“As long as intolerance and hatred exist, the victims of the Holocaust should never be forgotten.

“As a rabbi told us during our visit, it is a very small step from burning books, to burning people.”