Trip to BERLIN
April 9th, 2016
Fear and Misconceptions
We landed in Berlin. The thick, aggressive German accent was intimidating and overwhelming. The people appear so clean, so organized, and composed– just as was described through my research. When we finally arrived at our hotel, I looked in the mirror and I couldn’t help but notice the star of David necklace on my neck. I removed it out of fear. I didn’t know what to expect. Our days slowly progressed to heavier material.
Realization Through the Perspective of a Historian
Our tour guide Robert, had a PHD in history and specialized specifically in the Holocaust. We visited the current democratically- transparent preaching Reichstag and took a stroll through the abstract grey maze of oversized concrete blocks spread over an entire city block which was to be the “Berlin Holocaust Memorial.” On our second or third day, my family and I took a half hour drive over to the beautiful Wannsee Villa, where one of the most atrocious and destructive treaties in history was settled– the Final Solution to the Jewish Problem. The museum inside of the Villa gives an informative outlook by displaying the original documents created and signed during the Wannsee Conference of 1942 and provided major details about what was discussed and what occurred as a consequence; an audio tape played in the background with voices quoting exactly what was said by the conference members.
No Nazi Sympathizers
Over the next few days, Robert showed us around several World War II museums, railroad stations from which millions of innocent people were deported, and took us to the non-visible sight of Hitler’s suicide–his bunker. The German authorities built a parking lot atop this bunker, ensuring no Nazi sympathizers would even consider the thought of enshrining Hitler. On every street corner, where Jews, Gypsies, or persecuted minorities once lived, are brass inlays that state the victim’s name, the camp they were deported to, and their dates of birth and death. On every road was a sculpture or figure that commemorated the Holocaust. It is almost as if the whole city is still begging for forgiveness for actions they never committed themselves. They apologize and take responsibility on behalf of the evil Nazis who forced their fascist ideals on them.
My Transformation
As time in Berlin passed, I came to feel comfortable and greatly respected in the midst of these memorials. Although I can never forgive the Nazis for their crimes against humanity, my impressions about Germany transformed; my respect and credibility for them increased. To this day, I am still so impressed as to how the German government goes about attempting to repair their nation’s mistakes. After spending three days or so in Berlin, we were headed to Prague. On the way, however, we took a road trip down to the German-Czech border where we would have a day tour of Terezìn.
