Auschwitz was not what Sven had in mind when he signed up to do his civil service. For him, Auschwitz is a small town in Poland that embodies all the musty grayness of high-school history classes. As time passes, Sven discovers both Auschwitz and Oswiecim, the place of horror and the Polish town, the memorial to inhumanity and the tourist industry that has sprung up around it. Despite feelings of conflict, he develops a love for Ania, compassion for Krzeminski, and the troubling realization about his own role in preserving the memory of this place.