Tatiana Bóriková – Ženy v meste
In my heart, I cross myself once again, think of him, and set out on the arduous 130 km journey from Auschwitz to Žilina. We begin exactly where, on April 7, 1944, two Slovak Jews, Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler, escaped and became the first to provide the world with a 32-page report containing an eyewitness account of the Nazi atrocities.
I sit on the bus, feeling a subtle trembling deep inside. A subconscious fear of the unknown blends with anticipation, joy, and the magic of something unfamiliar— a new adventure…
In my head, I repeat the list of things for the hundredth time: T-shirts, adhesive bandages, raincoat, sunscreen, flashlight, nuts, medications, glucometer, do I have good shoes? Will they last? I could have packed more socks. And can I even manage this? My body also remembers times when I was in much better shape. Of the planned at least five kilos, I haven't lost an ounce. I prayed even more. To survive it all.
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Rozália Vlasková
In 2015, I participated in the Vrba-Wetzler Memorial march for the first time, and since then, I haven’t missed a single year. Simply put, it’s impossible. I’m not the only one who has developed this habit—there are many of us who plan our summers around the march dates. These "addicts" are one of the reasons I return to Auschwitz every year. The March in the Footsteps of Heroes—Alfréd Wetzler and Rudolf Vrba—uniquely combines an incredible idea that you immediately want to support and spread, with amazing people who are naturally drawn to this cause. That’s why you look forward to each day of (at times) exhausting walking. That’s why you keep going even when you haven’t slept, because you spent the night deep in conversation with new or old friends. The success of Rudy and Fredy’s escape depended entirely on the friends they had in the death camp, on their own friendship, and on the kindness of strangers who helped them along the way. The success of the Vrba-Wetzler Memorial march is no different.
Milena Verešová
Vrba-Wetzler Memorial is not just a march. It’s a journey—one that, for some, becomes a lifelong path. In everyday life, if you’re lucky, you meet amazing people. On the march, you meet them even without luck. They guide you through hills and plains, share everything they have with you, and much of it, you can take home with you. For me, the greatest fortune is the community of us, the marchers. I am grateful for the incredible friendships that sustain me throughout the year. Joining the march means gaining something priceless. And what’s more—it happens incredibly fast. You’ll understand as soon as you reach Zwardoń.