the snake, the stone, and the undertakers
On a bright October day of 2021 I crossed the Rhine and stepped into Germany. It was the start of a journey that would bring me all the way to the Bialowieza forest, supposedly one of the last remains of the primeval forests in Europe, in the confines of Poland. This journey would include some nature escapes as well as visits to some remnants of the still recent tragic history that shaped this continent. Little did I know that past would mix with present. After seeing Auschwitz, and its « never again » motto, it was somewhat scary to witness a massive right wing demonstration in Warsaw on the day celebrating the independance of Poland. This culminated in the Bialowieza forest, where refugees pushed by Belarus across the border were pushed back by Polish authorities, and ended stranded without resources in this natural wonder. It was a strange feeling to walk in a forest knowing I could equally come across bison, refugees, or the Polish army. I actually met the later, which made me waste half a day (and vice versa I suppose). Seeing what has been happening in Ukraine since, this trip feels premonitory.
If humans forget, nature does contribute to hide and erase traces of past crimes. Without care, buidlings fall into ruins and all sorts of organisms take over. I saw groups of geese having a walk in the middle of the huge stadium that hosted Nazi rallies in Nuremberg. I saw the extermination camp of Majdanek invaded by crows. I saw deer running among former barracks in Auschwitz-Birkenau. And in Treblinka there are more trees to see than actual remains of this ghastly extermination camp. The Nazis dismantled it and the forest that surrounds the site has grown after, roots likely penetrating mass graves. Nature recycles. I will not see forests the same way again.
