On the way home, I had the opportunity to do something I don’t normally do. I had the opportunity to sit and read a book from cover-to-cover in one sitting. During my flight home, I read the book Sarah’s Key. I highly recommend it; it was the type of book that you wish had another hundred pages because you just aren’t ready for the book to be over.
In a way, that was the perfect book to read on what was nearly a perfect learning experience. In the book, the main character is a journalist who is told to write about an event that occurred during the Holocaust. In learning about the event for her article, she develops a personal connection with one family that was rounded up during the event. In the process of learning about this family (specifically the young girl Sarah), she learns about herself.
My trip to Europe has taught me in the same way. I went on the trip wanting to learn more about WWII and the Holocaust, and what I came away with from the trip was a plethora of little stories that attach a human face to a major historical event. In my eyes, these little stories are the important history. They demonstrate humanity at its best and worst, and they provide us with an opportunity to think about our own actions and how they influence others. I feel deeply connected to a couple individuals, people whose stories aren’t usually told in most history books.
By having the opportunity to read and reflect on documents, visit museums and see artifacts, and view former ghettos and camps, a tragically beautiful mosaic of life emerges. The effects of World War II run deep and are glaringly apparent even today. Every place has its share of stories that are filled with both hope and sorrow. My goal is to take these stories and share them with my students, not so they just remember what happened, but so they can prevent similar tragedies in the future.
In the meantime, this trip has just begun the journey. I’ve made friends and contacts that will lead me to new insights and experiences as well as unlock doors for students that I teach. I cannot wait to share my experiences with students; I am certain they will be as captivated as I was.
A special thanks to the Chicago Foundation for Education for funding such a wonderful experience and my wonderful colleagues who took some time from vacation to follow my trip. I am blessed to work with such a wonderful organization and talented peers.
Warmly,
Brandon
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Jewish Museum and Dachau Concentration Camp
Yesterday was a day filled with learning. Since museums are closed on Mondays, I had to fit two very big learning experiences into one day. In order to have three full hours at the Jewish Museum, I needed to arrive when they opened at ten and leave at one so that I would be able to make the Dachau tour. It was really a whirlwind pace.
The Jewish Museum: This place disappointed me in some respects. It had three floors of exhibits. The top two floors housed contemporary art that I honestly couldn’t explain if my life depended on it. There was one photograph that did resonate with me on the second floor. I wish I could have snapped a picture of it, but they were guarding the place like hawks (especially since I was the only one in the museum). It was a picture of three sisters in their sixties or seventies. Their gaze faced the viewer, and each had their sleeved rolled up which revealed their tattooed numbers. I spent about ten minutes looking at the photo; it was very powerful. The strength and determination of the three women really came through in the picture.
The bottom floor contained the permanent collection of the museum. One piece made a lasting impression on me. The piece was part of an exhibit in which one could place markers on a map of Munich and a picture would light up on a board that would illustrate the information on the marker. Anyway, the train station across from my hotel was on the board. This is the same train station that I have been going to daily to eat and have Starbucks (and use their free internet).
It turns out that the station was used for two purposes that relate to the Holocaust and WWII. The first use of the station was to transport prisoners en route to Dachau. The station was where they started their journey to the camp. The other important purpose the train station served was that it was one of the sites of the Kinder transport. The Kinder transport was an effort to save Jewish children by sending them to host countries. In most scenarios, parents were putting their kids on these trains not knowing if they would ever see them again. The picture that lit up when I placed the marker on the map was of three small children hanging out the window of a train. Their faces were filled with terror.
Sitting in the train station right now, I can picture families being split. I can imagine parents running down the platform fearing (and perhaps even knowing) that they will never see their children again.
Dachau Concentration Camp: The camp is situated right outside of the city. It is not as massive as Auschwitz, but it is equally powerful. From a learning standpoint, Dachau allows much more access than Auschwitz (which I greatly appreciated). I was able to take some really powerful photos that I will be able to use when I teach Night. A total of 206,206 prisoners passed through the camp while in was in operation; over 42,000 people were killed at the camp. It was the only camp that was open the entire twelve years of the Nazi regime.
This was a difficult experience. I thought that it would be easier walking into the camp after having been to Auschwitz, but it wasn’t. I feel tremendously blessed to have had the opportunity to go to the camps, but I don’t think I ever want to go back in one again. The experience is too overwhelming. Thankfully I was able to document the experience and will be able to share it with students.
The Jewish Museum: This place disappointed me in some respects. It had three floors of exhibits. The top two floors housed contemporary art that I honestly couldn’t explain if my life depended on it. There was one photograph that did resonate with me on the second floor. I wish I could have snapped a picture of it, but they were guarding the place like hawks (especially since I was the only one in the museum). It was a picture of three sisters in their sixties or seventies. Their gaze faced the viewer, and each had their sleeved rolled up which revealed their tattooed numbers. I spent about ten minutes looking at the photo; it was very powerful. The strength and determination of the three women really came through in the picture.
The bottom floor contained the permanent collection of the museum. One piece made a lasting impression on me. The piece was part of an exhibit in which one could place markers on a map of Munich and a picture would light up on a board that would illustrate the information on the marker. Anyway, the train station across from my hotel was on the board. This is the same train station that I have been going to daily to eat and have Starbucks (and use their free internet).
It turns out that the station was used for two purposes that relate to the Holocaust and WWII. The first use of the station was to transport prisoners en route to Dachau. The station was where they started their journey to the camp. The other important purpose the train station served was that it was one of the sites of the Kinder transport. The Kinder transport was an effort to save Jewish children by sending them to host countries. In most scenarios, parents were putting their kids on these trains not knowing if they would ever see them again. The picture that lit up when I placed the marker on the map was of three small children hanging out the window of a train. Their faces were filled with terror.
Sitting in the train station right now, I can picture families being split. I can imagine parents running down the platform fearing (and perhaps even knowing) that they will never see their children again.
Dachau Concentration Camp: The camp is situated right outside of the city. It is not as massive as Auschwitz, but it is equally powerful. From a learning standpoint, Dachau allows much more access than Auschwitz (which I greatly appreciated). I was able to take some really powerful photos that I will be able to use when I teach Night. A total of 206,206 prisoners passed through the camp while in was in operation; over 42,000 people were killed at the camp. It was the only camp that was open the entire twelve years of the Nazi regime.
This was a difficult experience. I thought that it would be easier walking into the camp after having been to Auschwitz, but it wasn’t. I feel tremendously blessed to have had the opportunity to go to the camps, but I don’t think I ever want to go back in one again. The experience is too overwhelming. Thankfully I was able to document the experience and will be able to share it with students.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Munich Resistance
Not everyone in Nazi Germany were bystanders or supporters of the Nazis. There were some daring resistors who saw what Hitler was doing and decided to act. Even though Munich was the birthplace of Nazism, these people worked to undermine the Nazis and some ended up losing their lives because of it.
Today, Munich is exceptionally proud of these individuals because their actions support the idea that not everyone in Munich fell in love with Hitler’s ideas and actions. Here are three examples of resistors in Munich:
White Rose- Near the University of Munich stands a memorial with stones (which are permanent and do not wither like a flower- a typical Jewish custom). The memorial is there to commemorate six students at the university who created leaflets that explained the crimes the Nazis were engaged in and how the Nazi regime operated. They had to type out each copy; they had no printing press. The group managed to make six editions and delivered them despite heavy Gestapo presence in the area. Ultimately they were caught dumping leaflets out in the university by a janitor, who informed the dean, who in turn informed the Gestapo. For their actions, they were tortured and guillotined (with their heads forced to look up at the blade). Once their heads were removed, they were displayed to discourage individuals from writing against Hitler.
Their actions had major effects though. Because of their writing, many German towns gave up when they saw the Allies instead of fighting. The British found a set of the leaflets, made copies of them, and distributed them throughout Germany. As a result, their writing reached hundreds of thousands of people.
Johann Georg Elser-Johann Georg Elser tried to kill Hitler in 1939 and died in Dachau. He was a carpenter who heard Hitler’s message and decided that he needed to be stopped. He thought of a plan to kill Hitler that nearly worked. He knew that Hitler returned to Munich every year to reenact the speech that he gave during the Beer Hall Putsch. Hitler would come back and give the speech during the same day and at the same time. He decided that he would use a timed bomb to kill Hitler. In order to work on his plan, he managed to get locked in the Burgerbrau Beer Cellar several nights after closing to work on hollowing out a pillar to plant a bomb. His plan would have worked had Hitler’s timing been slightly off. Hitler disliked flying in fog. One of his aides informed him that fog was rolling in, and it would be best if he finished slightly earlier to fly back to Berlin as soon as possible. Thirteen minutes after Hitler finished speaking, the building exploded. Had Hitler stuck to the scripted time, he would have been dead and history might be different.
Elser was caught trying to leave the country through Switzerland. He would have gotten away, but he was entering the country illegally and when they searched him they found pictures and blueprints from the building. This gave him away. He was sent to Dachau and tortured. Nazis thought that he was part of a larger plot to kill Hitler and that a simple man without an education couldn’t have acted alone. He fed into this idea by suggesting at times that there were more people involved only to rescind what he said later. He was killed just before the end of the war.
Dodgers’ Alley-The gold marking on the street is a path that many people in Munich used to take to avoid having to solute to a plaque that stood on the side of the building (see the picture of the darkened stone where the plaque once stood). Individuals who were caught walking through the alley without a justifiable reason three times were sent to Dachau for insubordination. If you walked by the plaque without saluting, the guards standing next to the plaque would beat you to the point of death.
Today, if you get caught doing the salute anywhere in Germany, you are subject to prison time and a heavy fine. Foreigners are subject to a heavy fine and being permanently banned from entering Germany again.
Today, Munich is exceptionally proud of these individuals because their actions support the idea that not everyone in Munich fell in love with Hitler’s ideas and actions. Here are three examples of resistors in Munich:
White Rose- Near the University of Munich stands a memorial with stones (which are permanent and do not wither like a flower- a typical Jewish custom). The memorial is there to commemorate six students at the university who created leaflets that explained the crimes the Nazis were engaged in and how the Nazi regime operated. They had to type out each copy; they had no printing press. The group managed to make six editions and delivered them despite heavy Gestapo presence in the area. Ultimately they were caught dumping leaflets out in the university by a janitor, who informed the dean, who in turn informed the Gestapo. For their actions, they were tortured and guillotined (with their heads forced to look up at the blade). Once their heads were removed, they were displayed to discourage individuals from writing against Hitler.
Their actions had major effects though. Because of their writing, many German towns gave up when they saw the Allies instead of fighting. The British found a set of the leaflets, made copies of them, and distributed them throughout Germany. As a result, their writing reached hundreds of thousands of people.
Johann Georg Elser-Johann Georg Elser tried to kill Hitler in 1939 and died in Dachau. He was a carpenter who heard Hitler’s message and decided that he needed to be stopped. He thought of a plan to kill Hitler that nearly worked. He knew that Hitler returned to Munich every year to reenact the speech that he gave during the Beer Hall Putsch. Hitler would come back and give the speech during the same day and at the same time. He decided that he would use a timed bomb to kill Hitler. In order to work on his plan, he managed to get locked in the Burgerbrau Beer Cellar several nights after closing to work on hollowing out a pillar to plant a bomb. His plan would have worked had Hitler’s timing been slightly off. Hitler disliked flying in fog. One of his aides informed him that fog was rolling in, and it would be best if he finished slightly earlier to fly back to Berlin as soon as possible. Thirteen minutes after Hitler finished speaking, the building exploded. Had Hitler stuck to the scripted time, he would have been dead and history might be different.
Elser was caught trying to leave the country through Switzerland. He would have gotten away, but he was entering the country illegally and when they searched him they found pictures and blueprints from the building. This gave him away. He was sent to Dachau and tortured. Nazis thought that he was part of a larger plot to kill Hitler and that a simple man without an education couldn’t have acted alone. He fed into this idea by suggesting at times that there were more people involved only to rescind what he said later. He was killed just before the end of the war.
Dodgers’ Alley-The gold marking on the street is a path that many people in Munich used to take to avoid having to solute to a plaque that stood on the side of the building (see the picture of the darkened stone where the plaque once stood). Individuals who were caught walking through the alley without a justifiable reason three times were sent to Dachau for insubordination. If you walked by the plaque without saluting, the guards standing next to the plaque would beat you to the point of death.
Today, if you get caught doing the salute anywhere in Germany, you are subject to prison time and a heavy fine. Foreigners are subject to a heavy fine and being permanently banned from entering Germany again.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Munich, Nazism, and Vergangebheitsbewaltigung (translation: coming to terms with the past)
After an uneventful flight from Berlin to Munich, I had the opportunity to take Munich’s train to my hotel. Luckily, my hotel was just outside of a train station. I couldn’t have planned it any better. I decided to go for a walk and I snapped pictures of things that intrigued me. I didn’t whip out my guidebook or ask about what things meant; I just enjoyed the scenery. I slept exceptionally well last night after my walk.
Today I went for a walking tour that focused on the Third Reich. It was incredibly interesting. Hitler constantly referred to Munich as the birthplace of Nazism. From 1920 to 1933, the majority of Nazi activities and movements were in Munich. Hitler came to Munich after he received a draft notice to fight in Austria. He loved Munich and visited often.
In 1920, he went to a National Socialist meeting in a beer hall as a spy, and he ended up interrupting the meeting and gaining the attention of the party’s leader. The government allowed him to join the party, thinking it would be good to have someone working on the inside. After developing a following in the party, he ended up attracting larger and larger audiences. Fairly soon, he had to move to the Hofbrauhaus to have a building that was large enough to accommodate the size crowd he was drawing to listen to his speeches.
The Hofbrauhaus still exists; I had dinner there one night. If one looks closely at the ceiling, it is possible to still faintly see the swastikas painted on the ceiling of the hall.
Once he thought he had a sizable following, he attempted to overthrow the government of Munich and move on from there to Berlin. This did not work out; his revolution resulted in him fleeing the city by hijacking an ambulance (which he later claimed was to save an Aryan girl whose parents were in the city for a Nazi rally) and hiding at a friend’s basement just outside of Munich.
After his failed revolution, Hitler was tried in a kangaroo court that allowed him ample time to share his political views and share his propaganda. He was jailed very comfortably (he had his own personal secretary in Rudolph Hess to dictate Mien Kamph; he received three vegetarian meals daily; he got lessons in government and politics, and he was allowed to receive guests daily). He realized from this time that he had to gain power through “democratic” means, or else he would always remain at the fringe of German politics. He managed to do this through the Enabling Act of 1933. From that point on, most of the important Nazi events are in Berlin.
Munich views itself as a city that was liberated at the end of the war. The memorial below indicates this feeling. Did you notice the date? It is April 30, 1945 (the day Hitler took his own life and the Americans entered Munich).
Munich is not nearly as open about WWII as Berlin. Berlin has the huge Holocaust Memorial and every building has a marker explaining the significance it had during the war years (not many survived the bombing raids). Munich has a lot of small memorials that are not marked on maps. One really has to do a lot of research to find them and read about them to understand them
The tour guide mentioned that as long as the generation that lived during the war and their children are alive, the war will remain a difficult issue to discuss. He said that the generation that lived during the WWII were too busy trying to rebuild their lives after the war that they just wanted to ignore what happened, or as the tour guide put it, “sweep it under the rug.” Their kids (people born in the 60’s and 70’s) wanted to discuss what happened to ensure that it never happens again. They have gone to great lengths to teach their kids about the events of the war and have been very instrumental in getting a lot of the small memorials built around the city.
A perfect example of the generational differences regarding memory can be found in the eternal flame memorial. It was built at the end of the 1970’s after many individuals called for a memorial for the victims to be erected, yet the wartime generation did not want to spend the money to have the flame lit 24 hours days a day and recommended that the flame have hours in which it was not on. I found this fact to be very interesting and illustrative of what the tour guide shared about the feelings of the people of Munich.
Today I went for a walking tour that focused on the Third Reich. It was incredibly interesting. Hitler constantly referred to Munich as the birthplace of Nazism. From 1920 to 1933, the majority of Nazi activities and movements were in Munich. Hitler came to Munich after he received a draft notice to fight in Austria. He loved Munich and visited often.
In 1920, he went to a National Socialist meeting in a beer hall as a spy, and he ended up interrupting the meeting and gaining the attention of the party’s leader. The government allowed him to join the party, thinking it would be good to have someone working on the inside. After developing a following in the party, he ended up attracting larger and larger audiences. Fairly soon, he had to move to the Hofbrauhaus to have a building that was large enough to accommodate the size crowd he was drawing to listen to his speeches.
The Hofbrauhaus still exists; I had dinner there one night. If one looks closely at the ceiling, it is possible to still faintly see the swastikas painted on the ceiling of the hall.
Once he thought he had a sizable following, he attempted to overthrow the government of Munich and move on from there to Berlin. This did not work out; his revolution resulted in him fleeing the city by hijacking an ambulance (which he later claimed was to save an Aryan girl whose parents were in the city for a Nazi rally) and hiding at a friend’s basement just outside of Munich.
After his failed revolution, Hitler was tried in a kangaroo court that allowed him ample time to share his political views and share his propaganda. He was jailed very comfortably (he had his own personal secretary in Rudolph Hess to dictate Mien Kamph; he received three vegetarian meals daily; he got lessons in government and politics, and he was allowed to receive guests daily). He realized from this time that he had to gain power through “democratic” means, or else he would always remain at the fringe of German politics. He managed to do this through the Enabling Act of 1933. From that point on, most of the important Nazi events are in Berlin.
Munich views itself as a city that was liberated at the end of the war. The memorial below indicates this feeling. Did you notice the date? It is April 30, 1945 (the day Hitler took his own life and the Americans entered Munich).
Munich is not nearly as open about WWII as Berlin. Berlin has the huge Holocaust Memorial and every building has a marker explaining the significance it had during the war years (not many survived the bombing raids). Munich has a lot of small memorials that are not marked on maps. One really has to do a lot of research to find them and read about them to understand them
The tour guide mentioned that as long as the generation that lived during the war and their children are alive, the war will remain a difficult issue to discuss. He said that the generation that lived during the WWII were too busy trying to rebuild their lives after the war that they just wanted to ignore what happened, or as the tour guide put it, “sweep it under the rug.” Their kids (people born in the 60’s and 70’s) wanted to discuss what happened to ensure that it never happens again. They have gone to great lengths to teach their kids about the events of the war and have been very instrumental in getting a lot of the small memorials built around the city.
A perfect example of the generational differences regarding memory can be found in the eternal flame memorial. It was built at the end of the 1970’s after many individuals called for a memorial for the victims to be erected, yet the wartime generation did not want to spend the money to have the flame lit 24 hours days a day and recommended that the flame have hours in which it was not on. I found this fact to be very interesting and illustrative of what the tour guide shared about the feelings of the people of Munich.
My Next Trip
I promised Grace, a wonderful lady that I met while touring, that I would visit her in New Zealand. I guess that will have to be my next trip. She is a retired teacher and runs a sheep farm there. She is just one of the many nice people that I met along the way.
Dresden/Berlin
Leaving Prague, I had the opportunity to stop in Dresden for several hours. Dresden is a controversial site of WWII. In February of 1945 (a few months before the end of the war), the Allies bombed the entire city. The city wasn’t used for any sort of strategic purposes. There was no meaningful reason for us to bomb the city.
The Allies claimed that the bombing was a preventative measure that ensured that the railway station would not be used to move troops. Wouldn’t it make sense (if that was the case) to just bomb the railway station? The Allies used incendiary bombs (after carpet bombing the city) to make sure that Dresden was devastated. Nearly 40,000 German civilians were killed during the three days of bombing. There are few structures that survived the war.
I used the stop in Dresden as an opportunity to divide the trip from Prague to Berlin. I had a cold cucumber soup for lunch (which was delicious because the temperature was 98 degrees) and walked around a bit. It was pretty, but I wouldn’t spend more time than what I did within the city.
After leaving Dresden, I ended up making it to Berlin in the late afternoon. I hurried up and made it to the Topography of Terror before they closed to view an exhibit about the Litzmannstadt Ghetto. The exhibit focused on the photos that Jewish (as well as Nazis) took from 1940-1944 of Jewish life in the ghetto. See the posting about the concept of a ghetto for pictures.
The Allies claimed that the bombing was a preventative measure that ensured that the railway station would not be used to move troops. Wouldn’t it make sense (if that was the case) to just bomb the railway station? The Allies used incendiary bombs (after carpet bombing the city) to make sure that Dresden was devastated. Nearly 40,000 German civilians were killed during the three days of bombing. There are few structures that survived the war.
I used the stop in Dresden as an opportunity to divide the trip from Prague to Berlin. I had a cold cucumber soup for lunch (which was delicious because the temperature was 98 degrees) and walked around a bit. It was pretty, but I wouldn’t spend more time than what I did within the city.
After leaving Dresden, I ended up making it to Berlin in the late afternoon. I hurried up and made it to the Topography of Terror before they closed to view an exhibit about the Litzmannstadt Ghetto. The exhibit focused on the photos that Jewish (as well as Nazis) took from 1940-1944 of Jewish life in the ghetto. See the posting about the concept of a ghetto for pictures.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Concept of a Ghetto
Historically speaking, the term ghetto has been around for a very long time. As early as 1084, many cities and towns throughout Europe had these restricted areas that were designated specifically for Jews. Jews were viewed as a cultural minority due to their non-Christian beliefs in a Renaissance Christian environment. Many governing bodies wanted Jewish Ghettos in their lands because they generated funding and often lent a lot of money to governmental officials, yet the ghetto was restricted and could be closed off to prevent Jews from leaving (especially during Christian holidays). If debts ran too high to the Jews, a common practice in Europe was to kill the Jews in the ghetto or pass laws making Jewish life in ghettos difficult. The enforcement of Jews having to live in ghettos fell out of favor during the 1800’s and by 1882 the last ghetto was abolished in Italy.
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, they sought to isolate Jews. Starting with restrictive laws and moving on to property damage and theft, the Nazis wanted to make the Jewish population leave Germany. When this process did not work as quickly they would have liked, they began to think of more effective ways of isolating Jews. This caused Nazi officials to revisit the Medieval concept of a ghetto. The Reich’s Minister and General Field Marshall Hermann Goring and the Chief of Security Police Reinhard Heydrich (who was referred to as the “Butcher of Prague” and had thousands of assassination attempts before someone was finally successful) met in the Reich's Aviation Ministry after the Night of the Broken Glass in November of 1938 to discuss the creation of ghettos.
The Reich’s Aviation Ministry building(across from the former Gestapo’s offices and the Berlin Wall)
The side of the church where the assassins of Heydrich were shot after their location was disclosed and they were betrayed.
When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939 (less than a year after Goring and Heydrich met), the Nazis set up ghettos for Jews in Poznan and Lodz. The exhibit that I saw focused on the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, which was located in the city of Lodz. The Litzmannstadt Ghetto was the second largest ghetto created by the Nazis (after Warsaw’s Ghetto that was completely destroyed during the war after the Warsaw Uprising). The city of Lodz had a Jewish population of 230,000 before the war; only a few thousand survived the Holocaust.
The Litzmannstadt Ghetto (as well as the other ghettos established by Germans) was not intended to be a permanent solution to what was viewed as the “Jewish problem.” The ghettos were just a stop in the road so that Germans could better pace the destruction of the Jewish population. The ghettos provided the Nazis with a large concentration of labor that could be exploited (as Oscar Shindler did with good intentions) and as a means to organize the Jewish population before deporting them to death camps. Despite the temporary nature of the camps, Jews strived to maintain aspects of normal life. Jewish councils in camps created schools, police forces, and medical offices.
The pictures below are from the Litzmannstadt Ghetto. They were taken by a group of inmates that were appointed by the Jewish Elder, Mordechi Chaim Rumkowski. He faced many difficult decisions. Despite being in charge of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, he had to follow all of the rules put forward by the Nazis. One example of a difficult choice he had to make was selecting 20,000 victims to be deported and murdered. The pictures reflect an effort to maintain normalcy in the face of insurmountable odds (just as art was used by the children in Terezin).
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, they sought to isolate Jews. Starting with restrictive laws and moving on to property damage and theft, the Nazis wanted to make the Jewish population leave Germany. When this process did not work as quickly they would have liked, they began to think of more effective ways of isolating Jews. This caused Nazi officials to revisit the Medieval concept of a ghetto. The Reich’s Minister and General Field Marshall Hermann Goring and the Chief of Security Police Reinhard Heydrich (who was referred to as the “Butcher of Prague” and had thousands of assassination attempts before someone was finally successful) met in the Reich's Aviation Ministry after the Night of the Broken Glass in November of 1938 to discuss the creation of ghettos.
The Reich’s Aviation Ministry building(across from the former Gestapo’s offices and the Berlin Wall)
The side of the church where the assassins of Heydrich were shot after their location was disclosed and they were betrayed.
When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939 (less than a year after Goring and Heydrich met), the Nazis set up ghettos for Jews in Poznan and Lodz. The exhibit that I saw focused on the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, which was located in the city of Lodz. The Litzmannstadt Ghetto was the second largest ghetto created by the Nazis (after Warsaw’s Ghetto that was completely destroyed during the war after the Warsaw Uprising). The city of Lodz had a Jewish population of 230,000 before the war; only a few thousand survived the Holocaust.
The Litzmannstadt Ghetto (as well as the other ghettos established by Germans) was not intended to be a permanent solution to what was viewed as the “Jewish problem.” The ghettos were just a stop in the road so that Germans could better pace the destruction of the Jewish population. The ghettos provided the Nazis with a large concentration of labor that could be exploited (as Oscar Shindler did with good intentions) and as a means to organize the Jewish population before deporting them to death camps. Despite the temporary nature of the camps, Jews strived to maintain aspects of normal life. Jewish councils in camps created schools, police forces, and medical offices.
The pictures below are from the Litzmannstadt Ghetto. They were taken by a group of inmates that were appointed by the Jewish Elder, Mordechi Chaim Rumkowski. He faced many difficult decisions. Despite being in charge of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, he had to follow all of the rules put forward by the Nazis. One example of a difficult choice he had to make was selecting 20,000 victims to be deported and murdered. The pictures reflect an effort to maintain normalcy in the face of insurmountable odds (just as art was used by the children in Terezin).
Prague
After a long but scenic drive, I arrived in Prague. Yesterday I went on a bus ride to see the lights of the city at night. The city is beautiful at night (especially along the river). I got a good night’s rest.
Today I went on a walking city tour, a lunch cruise on the main river, spent the entire afternoon in the traditionally Jewish section of the city, got a haircut, had a traditional Czech dinner, and wandered around the city. It was an action packed day; I am surprised I am still awake with all of the walking and eating I did today. Here are the highlights:
Walking tour and lunch cruise: I have found that these types of tours are helpful in learning about the less touristy spots of the city that are more relevant and specific than the typical guidebook. They also help to orientate me to the layout of the city and give important tidbits of information that I wouldn’t necessary pickup on my own (like where to be careful and watch for pickpockets or where to get the bet exchange rates). With that said, I am glad I took the tours. They both showed the heavy influence of art nevus in the city.
Jewish section of the city: Hitler, being the proud and crazed man that he was, thought that after the war hat he would create a museum to a race that no longer existed. As a result of this vision, Hitler decided to leave Prague’s Jewish section relatively untouched. During the war, Hitler ordered that all of the synagogues in the area be used as storage containing Jewish relics that were plundered in a process called Aryanization. What remains in Prague today is physical evidence of what was once a vibrant Jewish community; the only problem is that few Jews live in the community. The community only has one synangogue in service.
I purchased a ticket that allowed me to enter all of the buildings in the district. The synagogues have all been turned into museums that highlight different aspects of religious practice and culture. I found them to be interesting, but the highlight of the district for me was in the Pinkus Synagogue. The first and second floors of the building were filled with the names of Jewish individuals who perished in the Holocaust from Prague. The third floor has a permanent exhibit of drawings from the kids of the region from Terezin.
Terezin was a concentration camp in the Czech Republic that the majority of Czech Jews passed through en route to Auschwitz. In June of 1944, the Nazis allowed the Red Cross to enter this camp to see how “humanely” Jews were treated in the camps. This was done to appease the nations of the world that were beginning to question the purpose of the camps. Playgrounds were made; a school was built; the inmates were even given food and drink for a short period. Then, once filming was complete and the visitors moved on, almost all of the inmates were sent to their deaths.
In an attempt to maintain a normal life for their children, many Jewish parents allowed their children to participate in secret art classes while at the camp. The art classes allowed many children to explore their thoughts and feelings and escape into other worlds. Art supplies were difficult to get to maintain the classes, but the inmates managed with what they had.
The artwork was really touching. Photos are strictly prohibited inside the synagogues, but I couldn’t help myself. I waited for the guard to leave the room and I took two really quick pictures. I just couldn’t leave without taking a picture of the beautifully tragic artwork.
There was also a very heavy police presence in this area of the city. I’m not sure exactly why it was so heavy, but the presence was very noticeable.
Today I went on a walking city tour, a lunch cruise on the main river, spent the entire afternoon in the traditionally Jewish section of the city, got a haircut, had a traditional Czech dinner, and wandered around the city. It was an action packed day; I am surprised I am still awake with all of the walking and eating I did today. Here are the highlights:
Walking tour and lunch cruise: I have found that these types of tours are helpful in learning about the less touristy spots of the city that are more relevant and specific than the typical guidebook. They also help to orientate me to the layout of the city and give important tidbits of information that I wouldn’t necessary pickup on my own (like where to be careful and watch for pickpockets or where to get the bet exchange rates). With that said, I am glad I took the tours. They both showed the heavy influence of art nevus in the city.
Jewish section of the city: Hitler, being the proud and crazed man that he was, thought that after the war hat he would create a museum to a race that no longer existed. As a result of this vision, Hitler decided to leave Prague’s Jewish section relatively untouched. During the war, Hitler ordered that all of the synagogues in the area be used as storage containing Jewish relics that were plundered in a process called Aryanization. What remains in Prague today is physical evidence of what was once a vibrant Jewish community; the only problem is that few Jews live in the community. The community only has one synangogue in service.
I purchased a ticket that allowed me to enter all of the buildings in the district. The synagogues have all been turned into museums that highlight different aspects of religious practice and culture. I found them to be interesting, but the highlight of the district for me was in the Pinkus Synagogue. The first and second floors of the building were filled with the names of Jewish individuals who perished in the Holocaust from Prague. The third floor has a permanent exhibit of drawings from the kids of the region from Terezin.
Terezin was a concentration camp in the Czech Republic that the majority of Czech Jews passed through en route to Auschwitz. In June of 1944, the Nazis allowed the Red Cross to enter this camp to see how “humanely” Jews were treated in the camps. This was done to appease the nations of the world that were beginning to question the purpose of the camps. Playgrounds were made; a school was built; the inmates were even given food and drink for a short period. Then, once filming was complete and the visitors moved on, almost all of the inmates were sent to their deaths.
In an attempt to maintain a normal life for their children, many Jewish parents allowed their children to participate in secret art classes while at the camp. The art classes allowed many children to explore their thoughts and feelings and escape into other worlds. Art supplies were difficult to get to maintain the classes, but the inmates managed with what they had.
The artwork was really touching. Photos are strictly prohibited inside the synagogues, but I couldn’t help myself. I waited for the guard to leave the room and I took two really quick pictures. I just couldn’t leave without taking a picture of the beautifully tragic artwork.
There was also a very heavy police presence in this area of the city. I’m not sure exactly why it was so heavy, but the presence was very noticeable.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Aryanization
One of the most visible landmarks in Vienna’s skyline is a giant ferris wheel in the of an amusement park. According to Jewish Vienna, when Emperor Joseph II transferred the royal hunting grounds to the public in 1776, the Prater became an important place for rest and relaxation as well as celebrations and sporting events (Feuerstein and Milchram 111). The Prater was filled with sensational attractions and was loved by the citizens of Vienna and tourists alike.
The park and the ferris wheel (the main attraction) was built around the turn of the century by Gabor Steiner. Steiner was a Jew. When the park opened in 1895, this was not a problem and for nearly forty years the people of Vienna came to the park to relax and enjoy themselves.
The invading Nazis believed that many of buildings and scenes that Steiner created were exotic and decadent (and therefore degenerate). The Nazis decided to destroy and rebuild the park according to their ideology. This process, along with any circumstances in which Nazis stole or significantly modified something owned or created by a Jew, was referred to as Aryanization. Under the concept of Aryanization, 60,000 Jewish homes in Vienna and 2.3 billion Reich mark in total assets were stolen during WWII (Feuerstein and Milchram 76). If an Austrian Jew was fortunate enough to have survived the Holocaust, he or she no longer had any property or assets.
As for Steiner, he was fortunate enough to emigrate to Hollywood in 1938. All that remains of the beautiful recreations of Venice and beautiful scenery that he created is a small side street in the park.
Austria
Before some of you get confused (mostly my friends and students), this is not the place with kangaroos. There were a few special sites that I had the opportunity to visit while in Vienna. I am going to spare you a boring history lesson, especially since my blog entries are getting progressively longer. The following are highlights of Vienna:
St. Stevens Church- Thank goodness for this church. Because of the high spires that protrude from the roof, I was able to use the location of the church as a way to get around Vienna. St. Steven’s Church is a beautiful building with many wonderful artifacts. One problem with the church is over the entrance. I couldn’t get a good picture of it, but one of the images over the entrance of the door depicts a Jew among other devils and evil symbols. St. Stevens is in the middle of an important shopping district of the city.
St. Steven's Church on PhotoPeach
Judenplatz- This square contains the Jewish Museum that I spent an entire afternoon wandering around reading and learning. First, even though Judenplatz was clearly marked on the map, if you are ever in Vienna and you are trying to go there, you will have tremendous difficulty finding it. After asking several locals were it was and how to get to it, I was finally able to find it. Once I found it, not only was the museum there, but so the memorial that I wrote about earlier.
Did you know that there are Spanish speaking Jews? This is a product of the Jews being kicked out of Spain in 1492 and being spread throughout Europe. The dialect of Spanish they speak is called Ladino and the Jews that originate from Spain are called Sephardim. It was interesting to read about what happened to the Jews once they left Spain and entered Europe. Each room in one of the exhibit halls focused on how countries welcomed Jews at one point, only to turn around and place restrictive covenants on their actions and religious practices.
The highlight of the museum was Schaudepot. This is the museum’s viewable storage area. In Auschwitz, there are several exhibits in which entire rooms are filled with the glasses, hair, shoes, brushes, and other items taken from people before they were killed. When I saw the roomful of artifacts that were in Jewish homes and places of worship before 1938, it had the same effect on me. It was overwhelming and I was by myself in the gallery. I snapped a quick picture (even though I wasn’t allowed) and left.
The guidebook that I purchased from the museum is also really helpful. It is like a dictionary of the Jewish faith. It will be a tremendous resource to use when I teach Night in the future.
Strauss and Mozart Concert- I went to a beautiful hall and had the opportunity to not only hear some wonderful classical music performed, but there was also cultural dancing as well. It was very entertaining. I had to go to a concert in Vienna; it is a must in a city known for such a rich musical history.
St. Stevens Church- Thank goodness for this church. Because of the high spires that protrude from the roof, I was able to use the location of the church as a way to get around Vienna. St. Steven’s Church is a beautiful building with many wonderful artifacts. One problem with the church is over the entrance. I couldn’t get a good picture of it, but one of the images over the entrance of the door depicts a Jew among other devils and evil symbols. St. Stevens is in the middle of an important shopping district of the city.
St. Steven's Church on PhotoPeach
Judenplatz- This square contains the Jewish Museum that I spent an entire afternoon wandering around reading and learning. First, even though Judenplatz was clearly marked on the map, if you are ever in Vienna and you are trying to go there, you will have tremendous difficulty finding it. After asking several locals were it was and how to get to it, I was finally able to find it. Once I found it, not only was the museum there, but so the memorial that I wrote about earlier.
Did you know that there are Spanish speaking Jews? This is a product of the Jews being kicked out of Spain in 1492 and being spread throughout Europe. The dialect of Spanish they speak is called Ladino and the Jews that originate from Spain are called Sephardim. It was interesting to read about what happened to the Jews once they left Spain and entered Europe. Each room in one of the exhibit halls focused on how countries welcomed Jews at one point, only to turn around and place restrictive covenants on their actions and religious practices.
The highlight of the museum was Schaudepot. This is the museum’s viewable storage area. In Auschwitz, there are several exhibits in which entire rooms are filled with the glasses, hair, shoes, brushes, and other items taken from people before they were killed. When I saw the roomful of artifacts that were in Jewish homes and places of worship before 1938, it had the same effect on me. It was overwhelming and I was by myself in the gallery. I snapped a quick picture (even though I wasn’t allowed) and left.
The guidebook that I purchased from the museum is also really helpful. It is like a dictionary of the Jewish faith. It will be a tremendous resource to use when I teach Night in the future.
Strauss and Mozart Concert- I went to a beautiful hall and had the opportunity to not only hear some wonderful classical music performed, but there was also cultural dancing as well. It was very entertaining. I had to go to a concert in Vienna; it is a must in a city known for such a rich musical history.
Memorials
Passing through Eastern Europe has afforded me the opportunity to see many memorials. Some memorials have been built to commemorate hard fought victories. Others have been dedicated to mighty and effective rulers. Some of the memorials have been built by ineffective rulers in hopes of creating a distorted new reality. One commonality that all memorials share is that they offer an insight into not only the group of individuals that are being memorialized, but also the creator of the memorial. The following are three memorials dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust from Vienna and Budapest that I found interesting not only for how they look and the meaning they convey, but also for the circumstances in which they were created.
Vienna- The dedication of this memorial in 1988 of a Jew scrubbing the ground created a firestorm in Vienna. It was originally intended to depict how Jews were forced to do humiliating tasks at the hands of Nazi oppressors. According to the text Jewish Vienna, in March of 1938, “thousands of Jews had been forced to scrub the pavements with brushes and even toothbrushes to the general amusement of the onlookers” (Feuerstein and Milchram 82)..Several members of Vienna’s Jewish community (among them Simon Wiestsenthal, the famous Nazi hunter) argued that the memorial itself was a further humiliation of the Jews and that a different memorial for Vienna would be much more appropriate.
Vienna- In response to what many viewed as a humiliating monument, this monument was commissioned and dedicated in 2000. Roughly 65,000 Austrian Jews were killed during the Holocaust. The picture that I took doesn’t do the memorial justice. If you look closely at the building, what from a distance appears to be bricks is actually concrete in the shape of books with the pages facing out. This was intended to demonstrate that the Jews who were killed were an educated people that were concerned about knowledge and learning. It also mourns the lose of knowledge (hence the books being turned inside out) that occurred when the Austrian Jews were murdered.
In addition to marking the lost of knowledge, the front of the memorial has doors without any knobs. The memorial also doesn’t have any windows. This was intended to symbolize that the typical Austrian Jew had little to no opportunity to escape the Nazi slaughter. The places where Vienna’s Jews were slaughtered are marked in the base of the monument.
Budapest- The memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust from Budapest is in the form of a tree. Each leaf on the tree has the name of a victim engraved on it. The rationale behind the memorial is that just like branches and leaves that are connected to the truck of the tree, Jews from Budapest that were killed by the Nazis all shared a commonality; they died because they were Jewish and dared to live normal lives.
Vienna- The dedication of this memorial in 1988 of a Jew scrubbing the ground created a firestorm in Vienna. It was originally intended to depict how Jews were forced to do humiliating tasks at the hands of Nazi oppressors. According to the text Jewish Vienna, in March of 1938, “thousands of Jews had been forced to scrub the pavements with brushes and even toothbrushes to the general amusement of the onlookers” (Feuerstein and Milchram 82)..Several members of Vienna’s Jewish community (among them Simon Wiestsenthal, the famous Nazi hunter) argued that the memorial itself was a further humiliation of the Jews and that a different memorial for Vienna would be much more appropriate.
Vienna- In response to what many viewed as a humiliating monument, this monument was commissioned and dedicated in 2000. Roughly 65,000 Austrian Jews were killed during the Holocaust. The picture that I took doesn’t do the memorial justice. If you look closely at the building, what from a distance appears to be bricks is actually concrete in the shape of books with the pages facing out. This was intended to demonstrate that the Jews who were killed were an educated people that were concerned about knowledge and learning. It also mourns the lose of knowledge (hence the books being turned inside out) that occurred when the Austrian Jews were murdered.
In addition to marking the lost of knowledge, the front of the memorial has doors without any knobs. The memorial also doesn’t have any windows. This was intended to symbolize that the typical Austrian Jew had little to no opportunity to escape the Nazi slaughter. The places where Vienna’s Jews were slaughtered are marked in the base of the monument.
Budapest- The memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust from Budapest is in the form of a tree. Each leaf on the tree has the name of a victim engraved on it. The rationale behind the memorial is that just like branches and leaves that are connected to the truck of the tree, Jews from Budapest that were killed by the Nazis all shared a commonality; they died because they were Jewish and dared to live normal lives.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Budapest
The drive from Krakow to Hungary was beautiful. The drive went through the Tatra Mountains. There were many little sites that were interesting and visually appealing:
-Skansen- wooden houses built without any nails. The community is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
-The castle where the original Dracula film was made.
-The Polish and Slovakian countryside was really beautiful.
-One quick fact: During World War II, the leader of Slovakia (who was also a Catholic priest) volunteered 50,000 Jews to be exterminated in order to attempt to stay on good terms with the Nazi government. The church has officially apologized for this priest’s actions.
General Information about Hungary
World War II came to Hungary in 1944. The nation was able to avoid much of the damage that befell man other European nations. With that said, 600,000 Jews still lost their lives in the year that Nazi’s occupied the country. In 1920, Hungarians sided with the Fascists. In 1948, the Communists took over. The people in jails just switched. The Communists that were in jail under the Fascists were freed when the Communists came to power after WWII.
Russian liberation was a major tragedy for Hungary. At the end of WWII, 200,000 Hungarian women were raped by Russian soldiers. The women would use makeup to make themselves appear less attractive to avoid getting raped.
After WWII, things were growing dire for many Hungarians. They were living in rough conditions and grew weary of Communist control. Being the revolutionaries that they are, a group of individuals went into Heroes Square (behind the art museum) and ripped down and began hammering a statue that was erected of Stalin. This revolution failed and a significant number of Hungarians were executed right after (the portraits outside the Tower of Terror Museum) Some 200,000 people fled Hungry in the failed 1956 revolution, thus creating large Hungarian communities outside of the country.
Apart from the general history of the nation that I was able to piece together from part of a tour and going throughout the Budapest, I had difficulty finding out specific information about WWII and the Holocaust and how Budapest was specifically affected. I did not know that museums were closed on Mondays in Europe. As a result, I was unable to go to two places that I was really looking forward to seeing (the Holocaust Museum and the Tower of Terror).Il also ended up getting separated from a tour group and spent three hours one afternoon trying to find my way back from the top of the mountain on the Buda side to my hotel across the river on the Pest side. Here are some important sites that I had the opportunity to visit:
Heroes’ Square: This is the heart of Budapest. The history of the nation through 1900can be told in terms of leadership through each one of the figures. The square also has a tragic past as it was the where the failed 1956 revolution started.
The Szechenyi Bath: After getting lost and walking about seven miles back to the hotel, I was tired and I just needed to relax. I thought the best solution was to go for a swim. This is the largest spa and pool complex in Europe. It was built in 1927 and was thought to have curative powers for ailments. As you will see from the pictures, I had a wonderful time. It felt like I was swimming in the pool of an elegant palace. European men do not cover up very well, many men like to wear skimpy bathing suits. This is a major tradition in Hungary.
Synagogue: There is a tremendous Holocaust Memorial (that I will write about in my next posting) and a cemetery where Holocaust victims were buried. The building was made to resemble a Catholic church.
Scenic Budapest(Danube River, Parliament, Matthias Church): There are so many beautiful sites; you’ll see the pictures when I can post them. The Parliament was exceptionally beautiful; there are 700 empty rooms that they don’t know what to do with there. Matthias Church was the place where I got lost.
Random fact: Hungarians has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Hungarians have the highest heart attack rate.
-Skansen- wooden houses built without any nails. The community is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
-The castle where the original Dracula film was made.
-The Polish and Slovakian countryside was really beautiful.
-One quick fact: During World War II, the leader of Slovakia (who was also a Catholic priest) volunteered 50,000 Jews to be exterminated in order to attempt to stay on good terms with the Nazi government. The church has officially apologized for this priest’s actions.
General Information about Hungary
World War II came to Hungary in 1944. The nation was able to avoid much of the damage that befell man other European nations. With that said, 600,000 Jews still lost their lives in the year that Nazi’s occupied the country. In 1920, Hungarians sided with the Fascists. In 1948, the Communists took over. The people in jails just switched. The Communists that were in jail under the Fascists were freed when the Communists came to power after WWII.
Russian liberation was a major tragedy for Hungary. At the end of WWII, 200,000 Hungarian women were raped by Russian soldiers. The women would use makeup to make themselves appear less attractive to avoid getting raped.
After WWII, things were growing dire for many Hungarians. They were living in rough conditions and grew weary of Communist control. Being the revolutionaries that they are, a group of individuals went into Heroes Square (behind the art museum) and ripped down and began hammering a statue that was erected of Stalin. This revolution failed and a significant number of Hungarians were executed right after (the portraits outside the Tower of Terror Museum) Some 200,000 people fled Hungry in the failed 1956 revolution, thus creating large Hungarian communities outside of the country.
Apart from the general history of the nation that I was able to piece together from part of a tour and going throughout the Budapest, I had difficulty finding out specific information about WWII and the Holocaust and how Budapest was specifically affected. I did not know that museums were closed on Mondays in Europe. As a result, I was unable to go to two places that I was really looking forward to seeing (the Holocaust Museum and the Tower of Terror).Il also ended up getting separated from a tour group and spent three hours one afternoon trying to find my way back from the top of the mountain on the Buda side to my hotel across the river on the Pest side. Here are some important sites that I had the opportunity to visit:
Heroes’ Square: This is the heart of Budapest. The history of the nation through 1900can be told in terms of leadership through each one of the figures. The square also has a tragic past as it was the where the failed 1956 revolution started.
The Szechenyi Bath: After getting lost and walking about seven miles back to the hotel, I was tired and I just needed to relax. I thought the best solution was to go for a swim. This is the largest spa and pool complex in Europe. It was built in 1927 and was thought to have curative powers for ailments. As you will see from the pictures, I had a wonderful time. It felt like I was swimming in the pool of an elegant palace. European men do not cover up very well, many men like to wear skimpy bathing suits. This is a major tradition in Hungary.
Synagogue: There is a tremendous Holocaust Memorial (that I will write about in my next posting) and a cemetery where Holocaust victims were buried. The building was made to resemble a Catholic church.
Scenic Budapest(Danube River, Parliament, Matthias Church): There are so many beautiful sites; you’ll see the pictures when I can post them. The Parliament was exceptionally beautiful; there are 700 empty rooms that they don’t know what to do with there. Matthias Church was the place where I got lost.
Random fact: Hungarians has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Hungarians have the highest heart attack rate.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Krakow
What an amazing day and a half in Krakow! Have you ever had the feeling you’ve been inundated with so much information that it becomes difficult to take it all in? That is how I felt today. I have done so much and seen so much in the last 36 hours that it is hardly believable. Here is the sequence of events:
Market Square: After arriving in Krakow and passing through security (a NATO meeting was going on at my hotel with Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright), I needed to get some fresh air and have some time to reflect on my experience at Auschwitz. I decided to go for a walk. I went down a random street and kept walking for a few blocks. What I stumbled into was Market Square.
Market Square is absolutely beautiful. It is immense. I read that it is over 40,000 square meters; this made it the largest place in Europe in the Middle Ages. The pictures that I took of it at night do not do the space justice. It is prettier than Warsaw, and the buildings in Market Square are all original (dating back as far as 700 years). I stopped for a cold beverage and an ice cream cone and did some people watching.
Wawel Hill: I got lost walking back to the hotel. I was wondering around trying to find my way home. I figured that if I walked back to the Vistula River, I would find my way home. En route to the Vistula River, I found Wawel Hill. Wawel Hill was the home of many Polish kings and is the site of Polish state events. The funeral of the Polish president was recently held there (he died in a plane crash). It is filled with beautiful artwork and amazing views of the city. During WWII, the SS used the palace grounds as living quarters.
Kazimierz: This is the Jewish district in Krakow. Let me tell you that there are still Jews in Krakow and they have a vibrant and relevant place in Krakow’s cityscape. I ended up spending half day in the district learning about Jewish culture. I had the opportunity to join up with a walking tour of the area. The woman was slightly annoyed that I was following her group and had not purchased a ticket. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to purchase a ticket; they claimed that all of the tickets were sold out. So, instead of me paying to follow, I followed for free.
While walking, I got to see several of the buildings that were/are important parts of the district. I got to see a Jewish ritual bath, the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish hospital (which Jews formed because they were afraid that Christians might try to baptizes them if they were extreme ill or on their deathbed), and the Jewish school (which the tour director noted ended up assimilating Jews into Polish culture after three generations).
I also had two wonderful opportunities that made the day extremely special for me. I meet a young Jewish couple that were gracious enough to let me tag along with them to the Jewish district. I ended up eating a kosher meal of beans, meat, bread, and specially blessed sweet wine. They explained to me that they need to wash their hands in a ritual way before eating, pray before they eat, and not work from Friday night until Saturday night (including doing any sort of lifting outside the house).
While eating our dinner, I had the opportunity to meet another young Jewish lady who is currently studying in Krakow. Her grandparents had left the country during the Holocaust, her parents left for the States in the 1960’s. She filled me in on Jewish culture and practice. She gave me her contact information so that I can call/e-mail her in the future. This will be tremendously helpful in the future when I teach about the Holocaust.
Besides the meal, I had the opportunity to go into a synagogue and hear Jewish music preformed. The concert was a lot of fun. It was part of the a Jewish culture event that is held in Krakow every year. I also saw a group of Jews leave service and dance in the street.
Oscar Schindler’s factory: Emalia- What a tremendous museum! I thought that the museum was just going to focus on his efforts to save Jews, but it gives an overview of WWII and the Holocaust first before focusing on his efforts. Some of the artifacts are simply amazing. You need to see the movie if you have not done so, then you need to go to the museum. The highlight of the museum: going in his restored office. I could picture him in my mind seventy years ago sitting at the beautiful wood desk thinking of underhanded deals to keep his workforce alive.
Market Square: After arriving in Krakow and passing through security (a NATO meeting was going on at my hotel with Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright), I needed to get some fresh air and have some time to reflect on my experience at Auschwitz. I decided to go for a walk. I went down a random street and kept walking for a few blocks. What I stumbled into was Market Square.
Market Square is absolutely beautiful. It is immense. I read that it is over 40,000 square meters; this made it the largest place in Europe in the Middle Ages. The pictures that I took of it at night do not do the space justice. It is prettier than Warsaw, and the buildings in Market Square are all original (dating back as far as 700 years). I stopped for a cold beverage and an ice cream cone and did some people watching.
Wawel Hill: I got lost walking back to the hotel. I was wondering around trying to find my way home. I figured that if I walked back to the Vistula River, I would find my way home. En route to the Vistula River, I found Wawel Hill. Wawel Hill was the home of many Polish kings and is the site of Polish state events. The funeral of the Polish president was recently held there (he died in a plane crash). It is filled with beautiful artwork and amazing views of the city. During WWII, the SS used the palace grounds as living quarters.
Kazimierz: This is the Jewish district in Krakow. Let me tell you that there are still Jews in Krakow and they have a vibrant and relevant place in Krakow’s cityscape. I ended up spending half day in the district learning about Jewish culture. I had the opportunity to join up with a walking tour of the area. The woman was slightly annoyed that I was following her group and had not purchased a ticket. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to purchase a ticket; they claimed that all of the tickets were sold out. So, instead of me paying to follow, I followed for free.
While walking, I got to see several of the buildings that were/are important parts of the district. I got to see a Jewish ritual bath, the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish hospital (which Jews formed because they were afraid that Christians might try to baptizes them if they were extreme ill or on their deathbed), and the Jewish school (which the tour director noted ended up assimilating Jews into Polish culture after three generations).
I also had two wonderful opportunities that made the day extremely special for me. I meet a young Jewish couple that were gracious enough to let me tag along with them to the Jewish district. I ended up eating a kosher meal of beans, meat, bread, and specially blessed sweet wine. They explained to me that they need to wash their hands in a ritual way before eating, pray before they eat, and not work from Friday night until Saturday night (including doing any sort of lifting outside the house).
While eating our dinner, I had the opportunity to meet another young Jewish lady who is currently studying in Krakow. Her grandparents had left the country during the Holocaust, her parents left for the States in the 1960’s. She filled me in on Jewish culture and practice. She gave me her contact information so that I can call/e-mail her in the future. This will be tremendously helpful in the future when I teach about the Holocaust.
Besides the meal, I had the opportunity to go into a synagogue and hear Jewish music preformed. The concert was a lot of fun. It was part of the a Jewish culture event that is held in Krakow every year. I also saw a group of Jews leave service and dance in the street.
Oscar Schindler’s factory: Emalia- What a tremendous museum! I thought that the museum was just going to focus on his efforts to save Jews, but it gives an overview of WWII and the Holocaust first before focusing on his efforts. Some of the artifacts are simply amazing. You need to see the movie if you have not done so, then you need to go to the museum. The highlight of the museum: going in his restored office. I could picture him in my mind seventy years ago sitting at the beautiful wood desk thinking of underhanded deals to keep his workforce alive.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Auschwitz
I learned more than I think I ever wanted to know about the concentration camp experience by visiting the Auschwitz complex. The concentration camps were built in Poland because of the close location to Germany. The Auschwitz camp consisted of three main camps and forty-nine sub camps. I went to Auschwitz I and Birkenau. I did not have the opportunity to go to Monowitz (the third camp). Auschwitz I was the processing center and where the SS lived (right beyond the barracks). Birkenau was the death machine; it had huge gas chambers and ovens that killed thousands of people daily. Before the end of the war, the Nazis destroyed all of the deth chambers in Birkenau. In fact, many of the buildings at Birkenau were destroyed. After the war, the Auschwitz complex was turned into a memorial.
Auschwitz was the first camp built in Poland. It first housed political prisoners. It wasn’t until 1942 that the crematoria were built. Six million poles died during WWII. At the time was broke out, 3.3 million Jews lived in Poland; only ten percent survived. Seeing the main gate to the camp with the inscription “Work Makes You Free” in German, the rooms full of prisoner’s personal belongings (hair, brushes, suitcases, artificial limbs, glasses, shoes, and bowls), the Death Wall, the barracks were prisoners slept, the cans left over from gas that was dropped into the gas chambers, the gallows, and the ovens was incredibly overwhelming. My heart aches that man has the capacity to so cruel to his fellow man.
With that said, there are stories of hope that come from Auschwitz. I had the opportunity to see where St. Maxamillian was detained and killed. His martyrdom allowed another individual to survive and raise a family. I think the best way to sum up what I took away from Auschwitz is as follows: “a small gesture can yield irreversible consequences; it can either save a life, or burn it”(copied from a plaque at the Oscar Schlinder factory).
In touring the camp, one is allowed to only take pictures outdoors. I did purchase a wonderful book that details all of the exhibits within the camp. Auschwitz is an amazing place that everyone should visit at one point in their lives. It will leave you with mixed emotions that are difficult to process and articulate I leave you with some pictures from the largest cemetary in the world.
Auschwitz (part 1) on PhotoPeach
Auschwitz (part 2) on PhotoPeach
Auschwitz was the first camp built in Poland. It first housed political prisoners. It wasn’t until 1942 that the crematoria were built. Six million poles died during WWII. At the time was broke out, 3.3 million Jews lived in Poland; only ten percent survived. Seeing the main gate to the camp with the inscription “Work Makes You Free” in German, the rooms full of prisoner’s personal belongings (hair, brushes, suitcases, artificial limbs, glasses, shoes, and bowls), the Death Wall, the barracks were prisoners slept, the cans left over from gas that was dropped into the gas chambers, the gallows, and the ovens was incredibly overwhelming. My heart aches that man has the capacity to so cruel to his fellow man.
With that said, there are stories of hope that come from Auschwitz. I had the opportunity to see where St. Maxamillian was detained and killed. His martyrdom allowed another individual to survive and raise a family. I think the best way to sum up what I took away from Auschwitz is as follows: “a small gesture can yield irreversible consequences; it can either save a life, or burn it”(copied from a plaque at the Oscar Schlinder factory).
In touring the camp, one is allowed to only take pictures outdoors. I did purchase a wonderful book that details all of the exhibits within the camp. Auschwitz is an amazing place that everyone should visit at one point in their lives. It will leave you with mixed emotions that are difficult to process and articulate I leave you with some pictures from the largest cemetary in the world.
Auschwitz (part 1) on PhotoPeach
Auschwitz (part 2) on PhotoPeach
Our Lady of Czestochowa
Today I am going to start of today’s blog entry with a joke:
How do you make holy water?
You boil the hell out of it.
I cannot take credit for being so clever. Between Warsaw and Krakow I made two stops. The first stop was at Our Lady of Czestochowa. Our Lady of Czestochowa is a holy site that many Polish pilgrims come to for forgiveness and blessings. It was a beautiful building. The building contained the Black Madonna. This holy icon is very important to the Polish people. It is thought that St. Luke the evangelist painted it. It has been in the care of the Pauline monks at Czestochowa since 1382. Polish people take their religion seriously; it is not uncommon for the average church to havesix services daily (and all of them packed). Our Lady of Czestochowa is a pilgramage site for Poles. As a result, you can imagine how busy this place was when I was there.
The most interesting artifacts I thought the church had were two rosaries that were made in concentration camps out of bread crumb and string. Sadly, I was unable to take a picture; no photos were allowed. If you are ever in Jasna Gora, Poland, make sure to see the rosaries and ask for Father Simon Steanowicz to be your docent; he was hilarious.
Our Lady of Czestochowa on PhotoPeach
How do you make holy water?
You boil the hell out of it.
I cannot take credit for being so clever. Between Warsaw and Krakow I made two stops. The first stop was at Our Lady of Czestochowa. Our Lady of Czestochowa is a holy site that many Polish pilgrims come to for forgiveness and blessings. It was a beautiful building. The building contained the Black Madonna. This holy icon is very important to the Polish people. It is thought that St. Luke the evangelist painted it. It has been in the care of the Pauline monks at Czestochowa since 1382. Polish people take their religion seriously; it is not uncommon for the average church to havesix services daily (and all of them packed). Our Lady of Czestochowa is a pilgramage site for Poles. As a result, you can imagine how busy this place was when I was there.
The most interesting artifacts I thought the church had were two rosaries that were made in concentration camps out of bread crumb and string. Sadly, I was unable to take a picture; no photos were allowed. If you are ever in Jasna Gora, Poland, make sure to see the rosaries and ask for Father Simon Steanowicz to be your docent; he was hilarious.
Our Lady of Czestochowa on PhotoPeach
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Jewish/World War II Pictures/Documents from Warsaw
Jewish/World War II Pictures/Documents from Warsaw on PhotoPeach
The Jewish Ghetto Memorial
This is the back side of the monument to the Ghetto Heroes . The memorial was built in 1948 and is the most meaningful marker (at the moment... a museum is currently being built) to the Jews who suffered that is located within the actual Ghetto. To your left, you will see a line of Jews that are headed for death in the camps. There is a message of hope though. Do you see the little boy that appears under the line and is looking the other way? His presence is intended to suggest that as long as there are survivors that Jews will not only remember the events of the Holocaust, but they will go on to prosper in the future once more.
This is all that is left in Warsaw (besides the memorial)to demonstrate that the Ghetto existed.
Warsaw (Day 2)
Dzień dobry! After a wonderful breakfast sitting with a man from Denver and an elderly woman from Peru, Illinois, I set out on a walking/bus tour of Warsaw. What a beautiful city! The buildings and vistas are some of the most amazing sights that I have ever beheld. It is amazing that 85% of the city was destroyed during WWII. Many of the old parts of the city have been reconstructed to their prewar grandeur. Here are some highlights:
The Old Town- This was the most beautiful and rich group of buildings I have ever seen. They were delicately recreated from paintings of what the Old town looked like before the war. The Old Town was rebuilt so well that it was made a UNESCO site of World Heritage in 1980. Besides being absolutely beautiful, the Old Town was one of the important sites of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. At first the undermanned Poles are successful and take over many parts of the city. This success did not last very long. The uprising started August 1, 1944 with a particularly heated battle in the Old Town. During this battle, the majority of Old Town was destroyed.
By September of the same year, Germans occupy Old Town and murder seriously injured soldiers and civilians found in hospitals.
By November/December of 1944, the Germans number the remaining buildings in order of importance to Polish culture and blow them up in order of importance. Germans sought to destroy valuable historical monuments indicated by German art historians: the Royal Castle (that took nearly forty years to rebuild as each king in Polish history added his own addition that was usually of a different building style), as well as other palaces ad churches. Buildings that were not considered culturally important (such as housing) was simply set on fire.
The Jewish Ghetto-There is nothing left. When I say nothing, I mean nothing. A monument was built in 1948 that I will detail in my next post. A new museum is being built to commemorate the nearly 300,000 inhabitants that died there.
The Warsaw Uprising Museum- This place was four floors. It was carefully built and makes a successful effort to appeal to all of the visitor’s senses while visiting to ensure one knows what it felt like to be a Polish citizen during the Warsaw Uprising. For example, there is a mixture of a pounding heart, dropping bombs, and bullets whizzing by as background noise while individual’s view the galleries. The composition of the floor changes to dirt/pinecones to demonstrate how some individuals in Warsaw were taken and killed in the forests. There are also parts in which one has to run through a maze of sewers. The footage of the Polish efforts during the Uprising and other exhibits such as the printing presses (that were used to spread information to help prepare for the Uprising ) were extremely thought-provoking. What I came away with from my experience at the museum was that a good number of citizens in Warsaw thought that by 1944 that they were going to die. They did not want to die being slaughtered; they wanted to die fighting back. The Warsaw Uprising was the product of their efforts.
Warsaw the Beautiful on PhotoPeach
Tomorrow is going to be a big day. I will be leaving Warsaw en route to Krakow. Given that Poland is building expressways; please say a little prayer that I am not stuck on a bus for fourteen hours like I was going from Berlin to Warsaw. Before I arrive in Krakow, I will spend several hours in Auschwitz. I am sure it is going to be a very taxing day.
The Old Town- This was the most beautiful and rich group of buildings I have ever seen. They were delicately recreated from paintings of what the Old town looked like before the war. The Old Town was rebuilt so well that it was made a UNESCO site of World Heritage in 1980. Besides being absolutely beautiful, the Old Town was one of the important sites of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. At first the undermanned Poles are successful and take over many parts of the city. This success did not last very long. The uprising started August 1, 1944 with a particularly heated battle in the Old Town. During this battle, the majority of Old Town was destroyed.
By September of the same year, Germans occupy Old Town and murder seriously injured soldiers and civilians found in hospitals.
By November/December of 1944, the Germans number the remaining buildings in order of importance to Polish culture and blow them up in order of importance. Germans sought to destroy valuable historical monuments indicated by German art historians: the Royal Castle (that took nearly forty years to rebuild as each king in Polish history added his own addition that was usually of a different building style), as well as other palaces ad churches. Buildings that were not considered culturally important (such as housing) was simply set on fire.
The Jewish Ghetto-There is nothing left. When I say nothing, I mean nothing. A monument was built in 1948 that I will detail in my next post. A new museum is being built to commemorate the nearly 300,000 inhabitants that died there.
The Warsaw Uprising Museum- This place was four floors. It was carefully built and makes a successful effort to appeal to all of the visitor’s senses while visiting to ensure one knows what it felt like to be a Polish citizen during the Warsaw Uprising. For example, there is a mixture of a pounding heart, dropping bombs, and bullets whizzing by as background noise while individual’s view the galleries. The composition of the floor changes to dirt/pinecones to demonstrate how some individuals in Warsaw were taken and killed in the forests. There are also parts in which one has to run through a maze of sewers. The footage of the Polish efforts during the Uprising and other exhibits such as the printing presses (that were used to spread information to help prepare for the Uprising ) were extremely thought-provoking. What I came away with from my experience at the museum was that a good number of citizens in Warsaw thought that by 1944 that they were going to die. They did not want to die being slaughtered; they wanted to die fighting back. The Warsaw Uprising was the product of their efforts.
Warsaw the Beautiful on PhotoPeach
Tomorrow is going to be a big day. I will be leaving Warsaw en route to Krakow. Given that Poland is building expressways; please say a little prayer that I am not stuck on a bus for fourteen hours like I was going from Berlin to Warsaw. Before I arrive in Krakow, I will spend several hours in Auschwitz. I am sure it is going to be a very taxing day.
Universe of Obligation #2 (“Integration; Immigration; Ignorance”)
Driving from Berlin to Warsaw, our guide Anthony regaled us with several explanations and stories to keep the people on the bus from getting angry that we were sitting in the middle of nowhere moving at a snail’s pace. One current event that he updated us on in Germany really resonated with me. The issue he discussed was immigration.
During the 1950’s in Germany, there was a tremendous need for cheap labor and the government looked for creative ways to get the most reasonable rates. In what many Germans view as a short-sighted move, Germany invited and encouraged workers from Turkey to come and live in Germany and work in jobs that required few professional skills. In return, many of the Turkish workers would have substantially improved living situations. For many Turks, coming to Germany meant that they would live in homes that had hot water and indoor toilets. This improved standard of living enticed many Turks to leave their homeland and come to Germany to work.
Fast forward fifty years and all of a sudden Germany has an immigration problem. The German population numbers roughly eighteen million. Of the eighteen million, roughly 3.5 million are Turkish. Germany did not count on the Turkish workers bringing their mothers, sisters, sons, daughters, aunts, and uncles; Germany was looking for workers in the 1950’s, not to introduce an ethnic minority. Many of the Turkish workers formed and maintain autonomous ethnic communities that preserve and maintain cultural heritage and language. Many in these communities do not work and collect state benefits to the tune of roughly 300 euros a month (plus free healthcare and education through college). Many individuals have called for change in Germany.
One change that Germany has enacted is an integration course. Many of the Turks are forced to take a course that teaches them German customs, the German language, and other values that are deemed important to Germany. The tour guide had to take the course (as he was an immigrant from another country). He told a story about a Turkish woman who was a slow learner. She never had a need to learn the language and struggled to get by in the integration class. She expressed her frustrations and difficulties that after thirty-five years she was now expected to learn or possibly be sent back to Turkey.
What struck me about this situation was how America faces a similar situation with immigrants. On the one hand, American wants to be an inclusive nation, but then many individuals hold many negative feelings towards immigrants and may even support something similar to an integration course. What are your thoughts?
During the 1950’s in Germany, there was a tremendous need for cheap labor and the government looked for creative ways to get the most reasonable rates. In what many Germans view as a short-sighted move, Germany invited and encouraged workers from Turkey to come and live in Germany and work in jobs that required few professional skills. In return, many of the Turkish workers would have substantially improved living situations. For many Turks, coming to Germany meant that they would live in homes that had hot water and indoor toilets. This improved standard of living enticed many Turks to leave their homeland and come to Germany to work.
Fast forward fifty years and all of a sudden Germany has an immigration problem. The German population numbers roughly eighteen million. Of the eighteen million, roughly 3.5 million are Turkish. Germany did not count on the Turkish workers bringing their mothers, sisters, sons, daughters, aunts, and uncles; Germany was looking for workers in the 1950’s, not to introduce an ethnic minority. Many of the Turkish workers formed and maintain autonomous ethnic communities that preserve and maintain cultural heritage and language. Many in these communities do not work and collect state benefits to the tune of roughly 300 euros a month (plus free healthcare and education through college). Many individuals have called for change in Germany.
One change that Germany has enacted is an integration course. Many of the Turks are forced to take a course that teaches them German customs, the German language, and other values that are deemed important to Germany. The tour guide had to take the course (as he was an immigrant from another country). He told a story about a Turkish woman who was a slow learner. She never had a need to learn the language and struggled to get by in the integration class. She expressed her frustrations and difficulties that after thirty-five years she was now expected to learn or possibly be sent back to Turkey.
What struck me about this situation was how America faces a similar situation with immigrants. On the one hand, American wants to be an inclusive nation, but then many individuals hold many negative feelings towards immigrants and may even support something similar to an integration course. What are your thoughts?
Universe of Obligation #1 (St. Maximilian Kolbe)
Driving from Berlin to Warsaw took roughly fourteen hours. I don’t know how many times you may have been on a bus for fourteen hours with forty other people, but for me it was the first time in my life I was on a bus for that long of a time period. As a result of being on the bus for so long, everyone really looked forward to the opportunities we had to stop and take a break to stretch our legs. So, as we pulled up to a church building to get off and stretch our legs and use the wc, the majority of the bus was happy just to leave the bus. They really could care less about where they were.
The place that our tour director selected for our final rest stop en route to Warsaw was Niepokalanow (which is a part of Teresin). In Niepokalanow, there is a small neighborhood, a train that connects them to Warsaw, and the church/ museum that we visited (The Saint Maximilian Museum). As I said earlier, I was just happy to get off the bus. Little did I expect to be moved in a such a profound way at what was essentially a bathroom break for everyone. While my tour companions went to the washroom and took pictures of the locals dancing to the Macarena, I went inside the museum and learned about an incredible man named St. Maximilian Kolbe.
A tour guide made an excellent point about the museum dedicated to St. Maximilian. He observed that in ancient Greek times that the word moueion meant “a temple of remembrance-goodness, which became the mother of the muse, protector of the various arts and studies. Thus temples of muse used to be called museums as well as schools and institutions searching for the truth.” St. Maximilian was a man that is worthy of remembering because he was driven by God to help others. This is extremely evident in his life actions, most importantly his death.
St. Maximilian was killed in Auschwitz after remaining in prison at the camp for over a year. He was in a block that was created for political prisoners that was known to torture and deprive individuals (more than other individuals who were in the general camp). As you can imagine, this was an extremely difficult situation. What makes this situation unique and relevant to the Universe of Obligation was the choice he made. Unlike many others, he had a choice; he did not have to go to Auschwitz. He went in place of another individual who had a family. He ultimately laid down his life and counseled others in the camp while he was there. He helped someone knowing that it would probably cost him his life.
Here is a link to find out more about this incredible man: http://www.marytown.com/default.aspx
St. Maximilian Kolbe on PhotoPeach
The place that our tour director selected for our final rest stop en route to Warsaw was Niepokalanow (which is a part of Teresin). In Niepokalanow, there is a small neighborhood, a train that connects them to Warsaw, and the church/ museum that we visited (The Saint Maximilian Museum). As I said earlier, I was just happy to get off the bus. Little did I expect to be moved in a such a profound way at what was essentially a bathroom break for everyone. While my tour companions went to the washroom and took pictures of the locals dancing to the Macarena, I went inside the museum and learned about an incredible man named St. Maximilian Kolbe.
A tour guide made an excellent point about the museum dedicated to St. Maximilian. He observed that in ancient Greek times that the word moueion meant “a temple of remembrance-goodness, which became the mother of the muse, protector of the various arts and studies. Thus temples of muse used to be called museums as well as schools and institutions searching for the truth.” St. Maximilian was a man that is worthy of remembering because he was driven by God to help others. This is extremely evident in his life actions, most importantly his death.
St. Maximilian was killed in Auschwitz after remaining in prison at the camp for over a year. He was in a block that was created for political prisoners that was known to torture and deprive individuals (more than other individuals who were in the general camp). As you can imagine, this was an extremely difficult situation. What makes this situation unique and relevant to the Universe of Obligation was the choice he made. Unlike many others, he had a choice; he did not have to go to Auschwitz. He went in place of another individual who had a family. He ultimately laid down his life and counseled others in the camp while he was there. He helped someone knowing that it would probably cost him his life.
Here is a link to find out more about this incredible man: http://www.marytown.com/default.aspx
St. Maximilian Kolbe on PhotoPeach
Warsaw (Day 1)
This was the LONGEST DAY EVER! We left Belin at seven in the morning and arrived at our hotel in Warsaw at 9:00. Poland is investing a lot of money into roadways and infrastructure. As a result of the construction, at one point we moved about three kilometers in three hours. Fourteen hours is a really long time to be in a bus unable to move.
I guess good things are worth waiting for patiently. The hotel I am staying at is beautiful and in a nice part of the city. It is centrally located to some of the activities I have planned (with the friends I’ve made on the bus). We had a lovely dinner; I had the opportunity to sit with a couple from Miami who both teach Spanish. After dinner, I went for a walk down a stretch of hops and boutiques near the hotel.
I am really looking forward to some of the activities that I have planned for tomorrow. Several people plan on joing me as I walk over to the Warsaw Uprising Museum (passing through what was once the Jewish Ghetto) and searching for the footprint of the zoo from The Zoo Keeper’s Wife. All of this will happen after a guided walking tour of the city in the morning.
Two specific stories/pieces of information were shared with me that I think relate to the concept of Universe of Obligation. Each story has its own individual entry.
I guess good things are worth waiting for patiently. The hotel I am staying at is beautiful and in a nice part of the city. It is centrally located to some of the activities I have planned (with the friends I’ve made on the bus). We had a lovely dinner; I had the opportunity to sit with a couple from Miami who both teach Spanish. After dinner, I went for a walk down a stretch of hops and boutiques near the hotel.
I am really looking forward to some of the activities that I have planned for tomorrow. Several people plan on joing me as I walk over to the Warsaw Uprising Museum (passing through what was once the Jewish Ghetto) and searching for the footprint of the zoo from The Zoo Keeper’s Wife. All of this will happen after a guided walking tour of the city in the morning.
Two specific stories/pieces of information were shared with me that I think relate to the concept of Universe of Obligation. Each story has its own individual entry.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Another awesome day in Berlin
Guten tag! This day was incredible. After a wonderful breakfast with my new Australian friends at the hotel, I went on a motor coach tour of the city. It was extremely beautiful. Here are some highlights:
- Under de Linden- This street was once Berlin’s main street and recreational thoroughfare. Of the 64 buildings that once lined the mile long street before the war, only 13 remain (most of which have been dramatically altered). I never completely understood how devastated Germany was after WWII. The guide made a wonderful point during the tour. He noted how Americans tend to take pride in the contributions that women made during the war at home. German women were responsible for cleaning up a devastated city. After the war, there were few men left in Berlin to help undertake the major efforts that were required to begin reconstructing the city. All of this was also done while the country was still occupied (either by Soviets in the East or the Allies in the West). I included a picture of what appears to be white building surrounded by other buildings. Where the building stands was the site of a huge book burning by Hitler in 1933. Over 20,000 books were destroyed at the site.
-Synagogue- This synagogue wasn’t destroyed during The Night of Broken Glass in 1938. I’m not exactly sure why, but somehow it managed to survive the war. I’m not sure if there are Jews in the area that attend service there. Either way, what a tremendous site and idea. The fact that a synagogue exists and is used in Germany today is a miracle after the Nazis and then the Communists (almost 45 years of oppression and discouraged religious freedom.
-Reichstag- This was the site of German Parliament when Hitler came to power. He staged a fire there in 1933 that ultimately allowed him to claim emergency powers that he used to suspend civil liberties. While there, I caught part of a tour in which the docent indicated that he thought the Russians were more responsible for winning World War II than the United States or Great Britain. He made a very convincing argument. I didn’t have my notepad and he wouldn’t let me record him speak, but he based his argument on the idea that the Russians were responsible for pushing an entire front back (after Germany attached them) and that once provided the weapons that they did most of the dirty work (such as the Battle of Berlin).
He also explained the importance of two monuments located near the Reichstag. The first monument he explained was dedicated to the political opponents of Hitler who were killed after he seized power. It consists of a series of plates with the individual’s death date and political party affiliation. The second monument was built by the Russians to commemorate their victory and as a memorial to their fallen. They built this within weeks of the war ending. In building the memorial they were expressing their thoughts about Hitler . The exact spot of the memorial was where Hitler planned his main government building for the “capitol of the world.” This was the Russians way of expressing their distaste for Hitler’s plans.
-Remnants of the Berlin Wall- Not only was there the wall, but right next to the wall there was the museum called Topographie Des Terrors. Rather than go to Potsdam, I elected to walk back to the museum and learn a lot more about how the Nazi government worked and was organized. The site of the museum is where the SS building once stood. There is so much history and minutiae involved with the museum; I cannot begin to describe it. It basically walks individuals through how the Nazi government was setup. Here is the link to their website:http://www.topographie.de/en/topography-of-terror/nc/1/
-Kaiser-Wilhelm Church- I couldn’t help think of what a waste of a beautiful church. The church was bombed out during an Allied bombing raid in 1943. As a monument to what had been an important civic building before the war, the city decided to leave (what was left) of the foyer of the church standing. The people of Berlin (who have a nickname for everything) affectionately refer to it at the “hollow tooth.”
-What to do on a 95 degree day in Berlin? Rent a bike and go for a ride. I had a blast; it seems this the way many people get around here. I saw so many beautiful buildings and corridors, stopped at a grocery store and purchased a small dinner for myself, bought two antique steins from an antique store, met a woman from New York and had a twenty minute conversation with her when I only intended to ask her to take my photo, and just relaxed. My body is still not quite adjusted to the change in time, so it was nice to get a little relaxation in.
Wakeup service is set for 5:45 tomorrow, then off for one very long drive to Warsaw. Danke for reading.
- Under de Linden- This street was once Berlin’s main street and recreational thoroughfare. Of the 64 buildings that once lined the mile long street before the war, only 13 remain (most of which have been dramatically altered). I never completely understood how devastated Germany was after WWII. The guide made a wonderful point during the tour. He noted how Americans tend to take pride in the contributions that women made during the war at home. German women were responsible for cleaning up a devastated city. After the war, there were few men left in Berlin to help undertake the major efforts that were required to begin reconstructing the city. All of this was also done while the country was still occupied (either by Soviets in the East or the Allies in the West). I included a picture of what appears to be white building surrounded by other buildings. Where the building stands was the site of a huge book burning by Hitler in 1933. Over 20,000 books were destroyed at the site.
-Synagogue- This synagogue wasn’t destroyed during The Night of Broken Glass in 1938. I’m not exactly sure why, but somehow it managed to survive the war. I’m not sure if there are Jews in the area that attend service there. Either way, what a tremendous site and idea. The fact that a synagogue exists and is used in Germany today is a miracle after the Nazis and then the Communists (almost 45 years of oppression and discouraged religious freedom.
-Reichstag- This was the site of German Parliament when Hitler came to power. He staged a fire there in 1933 that ultimately allowed him to claim emergency powers that he used to suspend civil liberties. While there, I caught part of a tour in which the docent indicated that he thought the Russians were more responsible for winning World War II than the United States or Great Britain. He made a very convincing argument. I didn’t have my notepad and he wouldn’t let me record him speak, but he based his argument on the idea that the Russians were responsible for pushing an entire front back (after Germany attached them) and that once provided the weapons that they did most of the dirty work (such as the Battle of Berlin).
He also explained the importance of two monuments located near the Reichstag. The first monument he explained was dedicated to the political opponents of Hitler who were killed after he seized power. It consists of a series of plates with the individual’s death date and political party affiliation. The second monument was built by the Russians to commemorate their victory and as a memorial to their fallen. They built this within weeks of the war ending. In building the memorial they were expressing their thoughts about Hitler . The exact spot of the memorial was where Hitler planned his main government building for the “capitol of the world.” This was the Russians way of expressing their distaste for Hitler’s plans.
-Remnants of the Berlin Wall- Not only was there the wall, but right next to the wall there was the museum called Topographie Des Terrors. Rather than go to Potsdam, I elected to walk back to the museum and learn a lot more about how the Nazi government worked and was organized. The site of the museum is where the SS building once stood. There is so much history and minutiae involved with the museum; I cannot begin to describe it. It basically walks individuals through how the Nazi government was setup. Here is the link to their website:http://www.topographie.de/en/topography-of-terror/nc/1/
-Kaiser-Wilhelm Church- I couldn’t help think of what a waste of a beautiful church. The church was bombed out during an Allied bombing raid in 1943. As a monument to what had been an important civic building before the war, the city decided to leave (what was left) of the foyer of the church standing. The people of Berlin (who have a nickname for everything) affectionately refer to it at the “hollow tooth.”
-What to do on a 95 degree day in Berlin? Rent a bike and go for a ride. I had a blast; it seems this the way many people get around here. I saw so many beautiful buildings and corridors, stopped at a grocery store and purchased a small dinner for myself, bought two antique steins from an antique store, met a woman from New York and had a twenty minute conversation with her when I only intended to ask her to take my photo, and just relaxed. My body is still not quite adjusted to the change in time, so it was nice to get a little relaxation in.
Wakeup service is set for 5:45 tomorrow, then off for one very long drive to Warsaw. Danke for reading.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Berlin
I’ve finally arrived in Berlin. The first observation I made was that traffic is extremely congested. The tour guide explained that they have been undergoing major construction projects. I guess there isn’t a whole lot that separates us (except for the types of electrical plugs we use). It took me about ten minutes of looking at the electrical socket in the airport before I figured out that I would need a converter.
At dinner, I met the nicest couple from Australia. They told me about all of their travels. They are in the process of an eight week tour of Europe. They were fascinated about Nightingale and the American education system. We enjoyed a feast at the hotel. I plan on having breakfast with them tomorrow.
After dinner tonight, I went for a walk around Berlin. Initially, I only planned to walk en route to Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial. I was concerned that it wasn’t part of the tour that I am getting tomorrow. The walk ended up turning into a six hour stroll through many different parts of the city. I’ll have a lot of pictures to share from this stroll. In addition to finally making it to the memorial, I also saw and learned about Checkpoint Charley, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Berlin Wall. Here is what I learned:
The Holocaust Memorial is in a section of Berlin that was practically destroyed during the war and the building of the Berlin Wall. It is on the site of where the Propaganda Minister, Dr. Joseph Goebbels, kept an office during WWII. A memorial to the death of European Jews was first suggested in 1988 by Lea Rash and Eberhard Jackel. It was not approved until 1999. Even though the museum was closed by the time I arrived (and closed on Mondays ugh!), the elegant and simple design of the pillars is reflective of a powerful metaphor. Six million is a number that is thrown around and is hard to conceptualize. I felt as though the 2,700 pillars of varying heights help to demonstrate that tremendous possibilities existed for the individuals who lost their lives. They were individuals, not just a group. Walking among the memorial, you are a single individual among a sea of pillars. The memorial does a good job of making one consider what really separates us from them. I believe the answer is very little other than time and tragic circumstances.
The Berlin Wall was enforced from 1961-1989. Over the years, numerous people died trying to cross from East to West Germany. There are 136 confirmed deaths from shootings, but thousands of other undocumented shootings occurred to curb border violations. Individuals who shot people engaged in a border violation were often given bonuses and became decorated in East Germany. President Reagan gave his famous speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate. I took a picture in front of it.
Checkpoint Charley was an important gateway between the East and the West. My hotel would have been located in East Germany.
Once I am able to explain the concept of a drugstore to someone, I will post today’s pictures. I am glad that everyone knows English for the most part, but certain words that are common parts of “American English” are foreign to individuals who have learned English elsewhere. I forgot the correct cord to upload pictures from my camera and need to buy a new one. All-in-all…not bad for a first day, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s guided tour. You’ll hear from me soon.
At dinner, I met the nicest couple from Australia. They told me about all of their travels. They are in the process of an eight week tour of Europe. They were fascinated about Nightingale and the American education system. We enjoyed a feast at the hotel. I plan on having breakfast with them tomorrow.
After dinner tonight, I went for a walk around Berlin. Initially, I only planned to walk en route to Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial. I was concerned that it wasn’t part of the tour that I am getting tomorrow. The walk ended up turning into a six hour stroll through many different parts of the city. I’ll have a lot of pictures to share from this stroll. In addition to finally making it to the memorial, I also saw and learned about Checkpoint Charley, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Berlin Wall. Here is what I learned:
The Holocaust Memorial is in a section of Berlin that was practically destroyed during the war and the building of the Berlin Wall. It is on the site of where the Propaganda Minister, Dr. Joseph Goebbels, kept an office during WWII. A memorial to the death of European Jews was first suggested in 1988 by Lea Rash and Eberhard Jackel. It was not approved until 1999. Even though the museum was closed by the time I arrived (and closed on Mondays ugh!), the elegant and simple design of the pillars is reflective of a powerful metaphor. Six million is a number that is thrown around and is hard to conceptualize. I felt as though the 2,700 pillars of varying heights help to demonstrate that tremendous possibilities existed for the individuals who lost their lives. They were individuals, not just a group. Walking among the memorial, you are a single individual among a sea of pillars. The memorial does a good job of making one consider what really separates us from them. I believe the answer is very little other than time and tragic circumstances.
The Berlin Wall was enforced from 1961-1989. Over the years, numerous people died trying to cross from East to West Germany. There are 136 confirmed deaths from shootings, but thousands of other undocumented shootings occurred to curb border violations. Individuals who shot people engaged in a border violation were often given bonuses and became decorated in East Germany. President Reagan gave his famous speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate. I took a picture in front of it.
Checkpoint Charley was an important gateway between the East and the West. My hotel would have been located in East Germany.
Once I am able to explain the concept of a drugstore to someone, I will post today’s pictures. I am glad that everyone knows English for the most part, but certain words that are common parts of “American English” are foreign to individuals who have learned English elsewhere. I forgot the correct cord to upload pictures from my camera and need to buy a new one. All-in-all…not bad for a first day, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s guided tour. You’ll hear from me soon.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Today is the big day!
I often teach my students to focus on how they felt at a given moment and use how they felt as a way to put the reader in the moment to start personal narratives. Anxiety, excitement, and fear (that I forgot to do something) are all mixing together in pit of my stomach right now. I'm sure everything will be fine, but it is always hard to just leave (especially for nearly three weeks).
I am looking forward to seeing many sites; the list goes on and on. For now though, I will just be happy to have a smooth flight and not lose my luggage en route to Berlin.
I am looking forward to seeing many sites; the list goes on and on. For now though, I will just be happy to have a smooth flight and not lose my luggage en route to Berlin.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
How do I leave a comment?
It is really simple to leave a comment. Here are the four easy steps:
1. Go to where it says "comment as"
2. Scroll down to where it says "name/url"
3. Type in your first initial and your last name
4. Type your comment in the comment box and post it. I view and read all comments before they are visible, so please don't worry if you don't see your comment right away.
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond.
1. Go to where it says "comment as"
2. Scroll down to where it says "name/url"
3. Type in your first initial and your last name
4. Type your comment in the comment box and post it. I view and read all comments before they are visible, so please don't worry if you don't see your comment right away.
Thank you for taking the time to read and respond.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Thank You
I am tremendously grateful for the Chicago Foundation for Education. This trip would not have been possible without the generous funding that I received from CFE. CFE has several different grant opportunities for teachers; I have learned so much through the work that I have done while participating in CFE study groups and implementing small grant projects. I highly recommend exploring their websites:
http://chicagofoundationforeducation.org/ (the parent organization that funds several different types of grants)
http://www.fundforteachers.org/home.html (the grant that funded my learning exploration)
I would also like to thank colleagues, friends, and students that agreed to follow the blog and share this experience with me. I am lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life.
http://chicagofoundationforeducation.org/ (the parent organization that funds several different types of grants)
http://www.fundforteachers.org/home.html (the grant that funded my learning exploration)
I would also like to thank colleagues, friends, and students that agreed to follow the blog and share this experience with me. I am lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life.
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