Under the motto “Strengthening Europe and Democracy” we traveled to Berlin for a weekend with a group of 25 international students. The focus of this trip was also on the topic of anti-Semitism/Holocaust.
After a relaxed journey and checking in at the hostel, we went to dinner together on the first evening in a cult, typically German restaurant. The schnitzel pan in this restaurant with a nostalgic flair was very tasty 🙂
The next morning we set off on an exploration tour of Berlin with our tour guide. The highlight of our tour was the Jewish Museum in Berlin-Kreuzberg.
When you enter the museum you immediately feel the sometimes very sad story that is told here. The exhibits are very informative and are also presented in a very emotional way through personal reports. We particularly liked the musical part with folk performances such as Klezmer music. The permanent exhibition takes you through the centuries of Jewish history in Germany – from the Middle Ages to the present day. The area dealing with the Holocaust/persecution of Jews was particularly emotional. The eyewitness accounts of Shoah survivors make the atrocities of that time tangible. There was also a separate room for the victims of the Holocaust, “Schalechet (Fallen Leaves)”. In this empty space there are over 10,000 faces with gaping mouths, made of heavy, round iron plates. This makes you think and is intended to make you feel the magnitude of the brutal events.
The next day we went to the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg. Due to its proximity to Berlin and thus also to the Gestapo headquarters on Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse, the Sachsenhausen concentration camp had a special role in the concentration camp system. A large SS contingent was stationed here. The “training camp” attached to the camp also served as a training location for future concentration camp commanders and guards throughout the Nazi sphere of influence. In total, around 200,000 prisoners were deported to Sachsenhausen.
The well-known saying “work sets you free” catches your eye as soon as you enter. The exhibition impressively shows the living conditions of the prisoners, the forced labor and the inhumane experiments that were carried out on many of them. The medical wing in particular had a very dark aura. Inhumane experiments were carried out here (forced sterilization, deliberate infection of prisoners, etc.). The phrase “it sends a chill down your spine” is perfectly apt here. The detention cells and the gallows behind them are also very depressing. It is hard to imagine what the prisoners had to go through back then. The section on anti-Semitic propaganda was also very bizarre. It was clear how hatred of Jews increased in the early 1920s and ultimately ended in the pogroms, the Nuremberg Race Laws and – unfortunately – the Holocaust.
Despite the shocking experiences, it is important to visit such places in order not to forget history and to ensure that similar atrocities never happen again!
The last day before departure was all about visiting museums. We visited the Nazi documentation center “Topography of Terror”, which is located on the site of the former Gestapo headquarters and the SS headquarters, which gives the place a special historical significance. A central point of the exhibition is the confrontation with the victims of the regime. The stories of people who were persecuted because of their political beliefs, their origins or their sexual orientation are moving and make history tangible. It is shocking how many lives were destroyed by the Nazi reign of terror.
Next we visited the “Berlin Bunker Stories” museum. The tour began with a short introduction to the history of Berlin during the Second World War and the role that bunkers played during this time.
The exhibition is very well designed and offers a mixture of historical information, personal stories and multimedia elements. I found the original artifacts and the impressive photographs that illustrate the living conditions of the people during the air raids particularly impressive. Above all, the Führer’s replica bunker looked very detailed. It’s hard to imagine that people were in the bunker for several days and were scared to death.
At the end of the day we visited the heart of our democracy – our Bundestag! From the roof dome at the top you have a wonderful view of the whole of Berlin 🙂
Overall, this trip was an absolute enrichment for all participants! We would like to thank our participants and above all our generous sponsors, without whom this trip would not have been possible!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
