Day 1 Journal: Berlin

16 May 2011: Berlin, Germany.

Myself, eating lunch along
the Spree River canal in
Berlin, Germany.

Today's walking tour of Berlin "paves the way" for the trip, or so they say. And this is so appreciated. My brain is overflowing with knowledge, some of which I'm already forgetting, as we visited a lot of historical sites and received a bit of context for WWII as well as Jewish life and antisemitism in Europe pre-war. This will, indeed, prepare us for the remainder of the trip as we visit some of the heavier sites, such as Auschwitz.

Yesterday's orientation has proven helpful already, and I can see it continuing as such throughout the week. Not knowing the other students we're traveling with 100%, but feeling a connection as we embark on the same journey; share the same fears, nerves and emotions, has allowed us to connect, and to read each other. Know when we need a hand or a hug, but knowing when to step back and allow a moment of peace, of solitude.

I really appreciated today's walking history class: our tour guide, Michael, is beyond intelligent, with stories to share. Any fact, number, name and he knows it, and will expand and tell you a story regarding it. He is truly amazing and I feel so honored to have been on a tour with him and benefit from his knowledge; share this experience with him. (For information on more tours by him and Routes Travel company, click here).

Holocaust Memorial at Gross-Hamburger-Strasse, in Berlin.
This Jewish cemetery, the oldest in Berlin, only has one
tombstone: that of Moses Mendelssohn.

Sitting on the plane last night (and not sleeping the whole flight, of course...zzz), I started to think. I'm sitting on a huge airplane and I am so privileged to be doing so. I can get up and walk around when my legs get stiff, when my neck gets sore, and for crying out loud - I'm on a plane to Europe for what is the most fantastic opportunity that has been offered to me, to date, if not, forever. And then I thought of the millions of Jews, prisoners of war, Poles, Roma, etc, etc that were packed in cattle cars for not only hours, but days on end. Why am I complaining about a little discomfort? They didn't have the option to sit down, to stretch their legs, to pull a blanket up over their legs. They no longer had the opportunity to walk the streets of their own towns, let alone others. And here, I pledge. Through my pain and suffering, my hard days, my long days: I will remember. I hope you will, too.

It was surreal to finally have arrived in Europe - after a long flight, and after years of aspiring to take a trip overseas. While this is no tourist trip and European brag-worthy trip, it was still exciting to be in a different part of the world. Not only one rich in history, but full of beauty. I wouldn't have changed this trip for the world - I am so thankful I was able to travel to Europe, but do so in a meaningful fashion. This was important to me and inspirational: my future trips will not only be for my own benefit, and probably relaxation time, but I hope to integrate education and historical purpose in them, as well.

At Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin. Erected in 1791, the Gate
used to symbolize the divide between East and West
Germany. Now, a popular tourist spot, it symbolizes unity
on the national level.

Our group gathering tonight, as well as several conversations throughout the day surrounded the topic of memorials, statues, and ways of commemorating the dead. This really interested me and I hope to do more work on this, perhaps throughout the remainder of my studies at university, but also on a personal level. I was amazed and impressed by the number of monuments in Berlin, as well as the many different types. Please see below for more on this, and photos.

The memorial for gay victims
was simply a concrete slab with
this video playing inside.
Beautiful.

This evening we had a ceremony, before dinner, on the homosexual victims of the Holocaust. We visited the memorial for these victims earlier today, a simple, but touching monument. Tonight's ceremony was also special, as it personally affected many people traveling on this trip, but affected everyone in a way, as well, as we all know someone with these lifestyles. This started to make things real for me, and continued to hit home throughout the trip. I thought of my friends who have been targeted for alternate lifestyles or beliefs, and thought how they would have vanished in this era of history. And what about myself? I have my own values, morals and beliefs...but I also am interested in those of others, and am supportive of all. What would that make me, in Hitler's eyes?

The ceremony was accompanied by the "choir" of the trip singing "True Colours" (Cyndi Lauper). This broke me down. The lyrics rang so true. And I just don't understand how the world can't be embraced for it's diversity and beauty as it is. The diversity, the different people, backgrounds, views...that's what makes it so beautiful. And I can't possibly begin to understand how someone can't agree with that, how someone can't accept that, embrace that, and respect, love, appreciate that.

Key Points of Interest / Other Places Visited Today:

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe: "The memorial, situated in the centre of Berlin, is a place for remembrance and commemoration of the murdered victims. Inaugurated in May 2005, it consists of a 19, 000 square meter (4.7 acre) site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs or "stelae", arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. The stelae are 2.38m long, 0.95m wide and vary in height from 0.2m to 4.8m. According to architect Peter Eisenman's project text, the stelae are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. The Memorial is complemented by an underground Information Centre that focuses on the origins of the victims honoured here and aims to document the spread of this genocide across Europe." (MRH Notebook 2011). I found this memorial very hard to be at: the sheer scale of the memorial, and it's subliminal messaging: it's concrete, and always in mind. This monument, giving an individualistic look at things, is also in a prime real estate area of Berlin, and therefore, seen by many everyday on their commutes to/from work.

Bebel Platz: "On May 10, 1933, the square was the focal point for the "burning of the books" staged by the Nazis: the works of Heinrich and Thomas Mann, Erich Kastner, Stefan Zweig, Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx, Alfred Kerr, Kurt Tucholsky and countless other writers were thrown into the flames. Since 1995, this event has been commemorated by the monument designed by Micha Ullmann, which consists of an underground library with empty shelves and which can be seen through a transparent plastic window set into the ground." (MRH Notebook 2011).

Stolpersteine: The artist Gunter Demnig created the Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) - small, cobblestone-sized memorials for a single victim of Nazism. Each stone, embedded in the pavement in front of their former homes, has a small copper plaque embedded in the pavement that mentions the name, date of birth and place and date of death of the person who lived there. These memorials commemorate those deported and killed, mostly in Nazi concentration camps or extermination camps. To date Demnig has created over 17,000 stones. The list of cities that have stolpersteine now extends to several countries and hundreds of cities and towns. "A person is only forgotten once his name is forgotten," Demnig has said." (MRH Notebook 2011).


Further photos from our time in Germany will be posted on a Flickr page in the coming days. Stay tuned for the link.

"I commend these words to you. Engrave them on your hearts, when you are in your house, when you walk on your way, when you go to bed, when you rise." - Primo Levi, "Shema"