Facing History & Ourselves in Europe 2008

Today we went on a walking tour throughout Berlin, the capital city of Germany. One of our first stops was at the Berlin Wall. It may not seem like much of a wall since it is very thin but it is marked with great history. The Berlin Wall went up in 1961 and came down in 1989. The wall was an amazing 100 miles long and it took 56 hours to build. The Berlin wall started as a chain link fence and was the border to separate the East which was the Communist section, and the West which was the Democratic section. Today, the remains of the wall attract many tourists and the area contains many historical photographs. The wall itself is marked with graffiti and many pictures. From this tour we learned a lot about Hitler’s impact on Berlin. When Hitler was incarcerated, he wrote Mein Kampf. In this book, he referred to the Jews as vermin and influenced others to do the same. Not only did this cause people to believe that they were superior to the Jews, but it led to Hitler carrying out his plans to exterminate the Jews. Our tour guide reminded us of the seemingly small roles that many, many people played in carrying out Hitler’s mission. For instance, people worked in the train stations where the Jews departed and others issued tickets for their journeys. Even when the secrets of the Holocaust were exposed, Hitler’s approval rating was at 90%. We believe he was supported because people were afraid of him and thought that disagreeing with Hitler could become a death sentence. However, we were reminded that some Germans risked everything to protect Jewish people. They felt for these people who were living in pain. Some Germans would take them for as long as two years. This shows that people actually cared about Jews and didn’t want to see this group of people be erased from mankind. We actually stood on the ground where Hitler’s underground bunker once existed and learned that he hid there to protect himself from the advancing Soviet Army. At one time, it was a huge, comfortable complex with plenty of food and supplies to survive. Although Hitler was safe, he wasn’t safe for long. We learned that he and his new wife committed suicide in this bunker and were ultimately turned into dust and thrown into the river. Throwing the ashes into the river eliminated the possibility of designating a burial site where shrines could be made. Another significant place we visited today was the Holocaust Memorial created in honor of those who perished in the Holocaust. It consisted of 2,711 stones of different shapes and sizes. The granite used for this memorial is graffiti proof so no one can write anything on the stones. Visitors can interpret the memorial in many ways. We thought it was a good way to show how the Jews felt during those times. As we walked through the design, it felt like a maze and when the stones got larger, we started to feel very alone and confused. It was almost creepy, but it sends an important message.

So far in our Facing History class, we have been studying how people throughout history have misused their power for their own selfish reasons and how past examples have influenced others in acts of mass murder. For example, we know that the Armenian genocide influenced the planning of the Holocaust. It is important for people today to learn from the mistakes of the past and educate those who do not understand. Today we took a walking tour of Prague, which is the capital city of the Czech Republic. We learned that the Jewish Quarter in Prague was left completely intact because it was supposed to be a museum to an extinct race. This tour was closer to home because it was led by a teacher named Ms. Neuschlova who once taught alongside one of our own, Ms. Powell. Ms. Neuschlova was accompanied by a group of 12 high school students in her class. Though it was raining uncontrollably, Ms. Neuschlova’s knowledge of this medieval city brightened up our day. We met the students near their school and introduced ourselves to each other. We then walked alongside the Vltava River in the Podoli region which overlooks the city. It was there where we learned that Prague is also known as “The City of 1000 Spires” because after every five houses there is a Romanesque styled Basilica. The city’s evident gothic architecture, which has been well preserved, stood out from all the other cities we have visited. We made our way to the Rotunda of Saint Maarten and then ascended 700 steps to the Castle of Praha. We concluded our tour at famous Charles Bridge, which was created in the 10th century, thus making it oldest bridge in the city. Throughout our walking tour, we visited many sites that were related to significant themes explored in our class. For example, we were led to a very interesting structure known as the Lennon Wall. What was once an ordinary wall in Prague is now covered with John Lennon inspired graffiti. This wall is a haven for anonymous youth and allows them to express their ideas, beliefs, feelings, and morals.  Many lyrics from songs by the Beatles were written on this wall. The quote that stood out the most in the center of the mural was “Some may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one”. During the time of Communist rule, many young people needed to express their views on important issues, including their limited rights. This made me think about the youth in the United States and how many freedoms we have. Some of us even left our own names and messages on the wall. The highlight of the day was meeting with the students from the Czech Republic. Meeting with these students gave me a glimmer of hope. Though we all came from different cultures, and completely different countries, we found a common ground just being normal teenagers, trying to find out more about ourselves and the world we live in. This shows that things can change in our world for the better if we all use our words and actions for good.