Michael, Along the Roads to Hell recounts the trip you took with your father to visit eight concentration camps across Europe. Why did you want to turn this experience into a book?

In a way, the book could be seen as a monument for the special experience that I have shared with my late father 20 years ago. Yet, it was such a significant adventure that I wanted to contribute to the commemoration of the Holocaust, by writing a book about my personal experience combined with historical backgrounds and current information. Information about the Secord World War is fading away in the last decades, since there almost no survivors left anymore. The knowledge about what exactly happened during the Holocaust is decreasing. Especially among the youth, who carry the future within them, but seem to forget the past. In this respect, the book serves two purposes. It is not only a reminder of the journey that my father and I made encompassing the largest concentration camps in Europe, but also a travel guide for anyone who wants to know more. Auschwitz is an unmistakable symbol of the Holocaust, but there are other concentration camps, more roads to hell on earth that should never be forgotten. This book tells their stories and combines practical and historical information with an interesting road story of two generations who experience the past from their own perspective.

The trip took place just over 20 years ago. Why was now the right moment to tell the story?

There are two reasons. Firstly, in January 2025 it was 80 years ago that the concentration camps of Auschwitz were liberated. Secondly, the past few years have shown a revival om antisemitism, also due to the Gaza conflict. People find it difficult to make a distinction between individual Jews and the horrible deeds of the state Israel against the Palestinians in the Gaza area, as if every Jew is personally responsible for what happens there. It causes global polarization where there is no longer room for nuance: you either belong to one or the other group, while the view of the suffering of the other is blinded by faith in his own right. There is also a revival of extreme right-wing and anti-democratic parties who misuse antisemitism for their own purposes: pretending to defend Jews, they are searching for new victims to blame, for example refugees or migrant workers from other countries. There are many parallels with the 1930’s, with the United States as a very bad example how people should not be treated. The Holocaust risks to be overlooked and forgotten in all this violence.

Was it difficult to recall your memories of the trip, or was it an experience that has stuck with you?

It was certainly the experience that has stuck with me, but I had three important aids to reconstruct the trip. Firstly, the travel report that my father wrote about the journey, including details about the route, the hotels we stayed in and his personal thoughts, although the latter were rather limited, as I wrote in my book. Secondly, my own travel report combined with the blue print that I wrote for my mother. Lastly, I made a video report of the journey. It helped to recalibrate my memories and rediscover lost details of the trip. Moving images are a powerful way to recall experiences that are not immediately available in your memory anymore.

What kind of research did you do to supplement your memories?

It was a combination of internet research and the study of the books and brochures that I bought along the trip. All concentration camps have comprehensive websites with much background information and links for further reading. Since I have studied military history after my retirement as chartered accountant, it was not too difficult to combine all information.

This is your first book. What was your writing process?

Actually, it is my first book in English language. Several years ago, I wrote a book of poems and three storybooks for my wife in Dutch language. The books describe the way we first met as if in a fantasy environment. I published the books myself, especially meant for family and friend. Besides, the last 16 years of my professional career I worked for the Dutch institute of chartered accountants, in which position I have written various position papers, protocols and audit instructions. In a way, writing is part of my existence. Yet, composing this book was an intense experience since it brought back the memories of my father and the horrors that were displayed at the concentration camps.

How do you think your experiences would differ if you took the same trip today? Would you ever wish to repeat it?

I think that the experiences could even be more intense, since I have much more information about the camps than I had back then. Certainly, I would have tried to persuade my father even more to express his feelings and experiences in the war.  For example, why did he not participate in the resistance? The experience would also be different due to the timeframe. When we travelled, people hardly used cell phones or social media. Using Google Earth to plan your journey has advantages, but also takes away much of the adventure. For example, we would never have been lost in Dresden, but going in the wrong direction can also create new experiences. Not everything has to be in control. The internet can provide us with much background information on the spot, but it is often too much. I prefer to absorb the surroundings, instead of listening to a podcast of historical facts. When Pope Francis visited Auschwitz, he did so in appropriate silence. Today, you would meet people taking selfies everywhere, even though the location should be in the centre of your attention, not yourself. But yes, I will repeat the experience in a way, since I have promised my wife to visit Auschwitz together in the near future, combined with a trip to Warsaw and Hitler’s Wolfsschanze.

These are unconventional sites for the less invested traveller to visit, but would you recommend these places are visited by Europeans today?

Certainly! Like I said, Auschwitz is a symbol of the Holocaust, but there are many other concentration camps that should never be forgotten. Auschwitz is overcrowded with visitors today, which could hamper your personal experience. Much can be learned from other camps, less known but also less visited, providing you with the opportunity to obtain a much more intense view of the Holocaust.

What is next for you?

Recently, I have started with a PhD about the First World War. It takes much of my time in the years to come, but it will certainly lead to a new book in a few years.

Michael Admiraal is the author of Along the Roads to Hell, published by Chiselbury.