Hallo/djenedobre:
Our time in Berlin has sadly come to a close as we woke up this morning to a new city, country, language, hotel, and best of all a functioning shower! Berlin was the first time I have ever been to Europe and it exceeded all expectations. we learned, visited, and explored more than I thought possible in a 5 day period and definitely more than I can fit in one blog. There were a few moments and experiences on the trip so far that have impacted me more than others though:
*on a tour of key nazi history sites in Berlin our guide, Arya, explained how while Germany has freedom of speech, public display of a swastika and calling yourself a national socialist is illegal. This is because fascism threatens the democratic ideals of their constitution and the government's job is to protect democracy. This reminded me of how it is also now illegal to call yourself a Hutu or a Tutsi in Rwanda.
*we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, a sprawling graveyard of identical grey rectangular rectangular prisms at different heights across sloping land. Walking through the memorial was moving as you literally disappeared into nothing as you went deeper into the middle just as millions of people were deported and killed never to be seen again during the holocaust. There were many kids/teens jumping from stone to stone, screaming, and playing hide and seek throughout the area which was extremely disrespectful. We wondered if their teachers didn't tell them what the memorials was or if they truly thought it appropriate to play and yell in such an important memorial to the past.
*Bernburg euthanasia center is in the basement of a currently running mental hospital a couple hours outside of Berlin. During the holocaust 14,000 "disabled" people were killed in a gas chamber there because of their disabilities. We walked through the center and walked through the exact rooms where people were brought, stripped, gassed, and hen had their corpses examined. This was an extremely chilling experience. Many people were repulsed by how the hospital is still running when such a disgusting thing happened there. I think it is important that the hospital keeps running because it further preserves the memory of the evil that happened. Also we learned that all doctors and nurses had to watch 1 gassing before being hired to work there and not one person decided to not accept a job after seeing the gassing.
*the Judisches museum had 3 memorials/experiences/art that ms freeman said we had to see. First was the garden of exile which was similar to a smaller version of the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe except while walking you always felt like you would either fall forward or you were struggling to climb a hill. I think this represented how throughout the holocaust survival was a difficult struggle and there was a loss of most control over oneself. We also saw the tower of the holocaust, a jaggedly shaped room with seemingly never ending ceiling height with a ceiling that mirrored the night sky and the only light coming from a small sliver of sunlight at the top. When the door opened or closed the sound echoed around the whole room as if the walls were closing in. I felt trapped and the one small amount of sunlight (hope) seemed impossible to reach. Lastly we saw falling leaves, a tall room covered on the floor with small metal faces with gaping mouths and sad eyes. You walked through the room and the faces all jingled together. I felt like I was walking over faces yelling for help as they lay dying. The overall effect was creepy and made me look at each face as a separate victim with his own story.
I am impressed with the way Germany has reckoned with its dark past. On almost every corner of Berlin is a memorial to some people victimized by the nazis. All German school children are required by law to visit a concentration camp. I believe Germans should be some of the most educated people in the world about racial prejudices and genocide because of how present their country's past is in everyday life. I really loved berlin and also had an amazing time bonding with my classmates, had great food, and enjoyed the best tour guides in the world. Shout out to tim and the guy from the underground ww2 bunker. (Lucy)0
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