The Trip of a Lifetime

After visiting Germany, and Europe for the matter, for the first time in my life, I have to say it was an experience. The definition of an adventure to say the least. It all started in Berlin where we meet our host Henrick. Great guy who showed us around and gave some great instruction on places to hit up. From there my two roommates, Drew Farley and Josh Frieler, and I started partaking in the food and drinks of Berlin! The food was great. It focused a lot on the meat which was great because I'm no vegetarian. We had schnitzel to pan fried fish and everything in between. Our first events where the Story of Berlin museum where I got to see my first bunker. It was quite a sight even though it never had been used. We then ventured to the Ka De Vee. The Germans definitely got it right with this supermarket! It was huge with everything ranging from cloths, food, electronics, and even a $33,000 bottle of whiskey. The next day we went to the Mauer or the Wall as we say it. It was a great tour by our guide and soon to be friend Stefano. We then seen the beautiful Potsdam Castles which is something that I did not expect at all. I mean who thinks of castles when they think of Germany? They were incredible however, and that turned into being one of my favorite parts of the trip. We had some lunch in Potsdam and got back to Berlin to get in bed since the next day we were getting up to go to Hamburg. Hamburg was an amazing port city that gave a good change of pace to Berlin. There we had some fresh fish, stayed in a youth hostel, and toured the city. We even got to go in a tunnel that crossed the channel. My roommates and I had an adventure to put it lightly. We returned to Berlin shortly after where we explored more of the city, seen some famous buildings, we to an incredible chocolate store, and ended up in Checkpoint Charlie. Kind of touristy but still fun. That night I actually met up with a friend of mine who lives in German and she and two of her girlfriends took myself, Farley, and Josh out to a club/bar to enjoy the nightlife. It was great running into a old friend of all places Europe. The next day was a bit gloomy where we visited Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp near Berlin. It was definitely an experience that I think everyone should have but fun not at all the word to describe it. Sobering describes it well. After that, it was some German theatre and more sightseeing. We seen the primary government build of Germany, the Reichstag. We then went to the tower in the middle of Berlin to take in the view which was pretty breath taking. We then had to accept our trip was coming to an end. It was sad, but we were happy to get back to our home in the States. We said our goodbyes then headed home..........besides the massive blizzard that came and destroyed our flight schedule putting us way behind schedule and losing our luggage. But I got it back and had a great time. I'm extremely glad I went on this trip and have enjoyed telling the stories about it! Pictures will come very soon!

Sachsenhausen Concerntration Camp

Before we even left the United States, I wasnt really sure if I would want to visit the concentration camp.  I had a feeling I would not enjoy it as its obviously not a happy topic.  I had the idea that I've understood the grief, sadness, tradgedy, and utter un-humanlike display of events that takes place at these camps we have all been informed of when we study the Holocaust in schools.  I debated about going the entire trip, so when the moment finally came I chalked it up to a once in a lifetime opportunity and joined the group.  I feel like I was correct in my feelings and assumptions after visiting.  Although, I will admit to having learned things particular to this camp, and also having learned things in general that I was not aware of.  All in all, it was a sobering experience that opens ones eyes and makes you really appreciate the things you have to be thankful for, as well as the things you are thankful you didnt have to endure.

This first picture is on the gate going in the camp, it translates to "Work Sets You Free".

 This second picture is of
an area where they conducted
mass executions by shootings
and then placeing the bodies
in an oven near by.

The picture below is of the first place they experimented with gas in any concentration camp.

This last picture is of a sign near the end of our tour right around the same spots as the mass execution area, and first gas experimentations area.  The sign was also in German just to the left of this picture.  It was certainly a poignent statement after touring the entire camp.

 

Die Mauer (The Wall)

The Berlin Wall.  It has been my experience in talking with people once I had returned that most of them had very little knowledge about why the Berlin Wall was built.  Myself included.  Our tour guide Stefano taught me more about post war Germany and the Berlin Wall than any other history teachers I had previously encountered. (Not to say anything negative about the professors before, I'm sure I played a roll in that caper).  In learning what Stefano had to say, I was taken back at the concept of the entire war, post war, and Berlin wall all together.  Below is a depiction of a famous picture regarding the wall, I will also include an excerpt from Wikipedia to describe it.

On 15 August 1961, Schumann was sent to the corner of Ruppiner Straße and Bernauer Straße to guard the Berlin Wall on its third day of construction. At that time, the wall was only a low barbed wire fence. From the other side, West Germans shouted to him, "Komm' rüber!" ("Come over!"), and a police car pulled up to wait for him. Schumann jumped over the barbed wire fence and was promptly driven away from the scene by the West Berlin police. West German photographer Peter Leibing photographed Schumann's escape. His picture has since become an iconic image of the Cold War era. The scene, including Schumann's preparations, has also been filmed on 16-mm film from the same perspective.
Schumann was later permitted to travel from West Berlin to the main territory of West Germany, where he settled in Bavaria. He met his wife Kunigunde in the town of Günzburg.

Germany was divided in half, east and west.  West was the Allies and east was Communist.  They decided this in order to keep Germany from being strong and united after the war.  They also decided to do the same with the city of Berlin, this being the capital of Germany, in the same way east was communist and west was Allies.  So one could be in West Berlin, which was Allied territory, and still be in East Germany which was Communist.  When this began, most citizens in east Berlin fled to the west to get away from communist rule.  Over 150,000 citizens left, leaving no economy, industry, or workers.  So east Berliners needed a way to keep citizens on their side of town.  Enter the Wall.

This is a picure of rods they put in the ground to show where the wall used to be.This is a picture of myself standing next to an old part of the interior of the wall.  You can still see an old guard tower in the background.

This next picture is a part they rebuilt to the wall's exact specs to show what it really looked like and how intimidating and hard to traverse it could be.