Our westward track towards Berlin to finish up the trip was fitting considering that this was how the Soviet Red Army finished off Nazi Germany and thus the war in Europe. However, Berlin was a fitting end in more regards because it was also the site in which a wall rose and the Cold War began. The conclusion of the Battle of Berlin was the marking of both an end and a new beginning. Personally, although on a much more positive note, I know that I grew tremendously from this trip as an individual and an academic in many regards. Perhaps one of the most important areas of growth was in regards to perspective. This journey challenged me not just to understand the perspective of these nations in regards to WWII but to appreciate and integrate them into my own thoughts. Germany offered our group one final perspective on our journey.
One of our first stops was the Reichstag, the German parliamentary building. It was on this building that the famous picture of the Red Army soldier raising the Soviet flag was taken. We were given a splendid tour of the building with the most intriguing parts being the original graffiti left behind by the Soviet soldiers that took over the Reichstag. A lot of the writing consisted of family names and places they had been. For instance, from Stalingrad to Berlin was written several times. The graffiti discussing the battles the soldiers were in was especially interesting because it brought my mind back to a discussion our class had about why the Western Allies did not march on Berlin. I imagined not only reading words, such as from Normandy to Berlin, on the walls but also what the world may have looked like today if that decision was made. This is still something I have yet to answer satisfactorily.
OHIO in front of Reichstag
(left to right: Beau, Katie, Natalie, myself)
Russian graffiti in Reichstag
The German story about the war was largely made of analysis as to the rise of Hitler. In the German Historical Museum the displays on the rise of the Nazis was longer, at least if felt much longer, than the war itself. The German narrative also makes no attempt to deny the terrible acts committed by the Nazis. I believe this, in combination with the focus on the rise of fascism in Germany, serves as a sort of reconciliation for the German people and a service to humanity to try and prevent future atrocities. Another important stop in our story of Germany during the war was the courtyard in which Claus Von Stauffenberg. Stauffenberg, along with his fellow conspirators, attempted to assassinate Hitler and establish control over the Third Reich. This was the story in the film Valkyrie, which featured Tom Cruise who really does look quite similar to Stauffenberg. Anyway, Stauffenberg represents a part of the small disjointed individuals that did seek to end Hitler. Stauffenberg’s intentions were not entirely pure because he only sought peace with the Western Allies and a continuation of the war on the Eastern Front. Regardless, the actions of him and his comrades serve as a reminder that not everyone supported Hitler in Germany.
Where Stauffenberg was shot with his fellow conspirators
Another interesting aspect of the telling of WWII in Berlin is the presence of Soviet memorials and museums. These interject the Soviet perspective into the telling of the German one and I am curious to know if there are any American or British monuments in their previous sectors. Regardless, the Soviet monuments make sense. I believe it is often lost on Americans simply how brutal the Eastern Front was. It was an ideologically death struggle in which the victory of one power meant the complete and utter destruction of the other. The Soviets suffered tremendously and Berlin served as their prize.
Soviet memorial, note the swastika he is stepping on and the child he is holding.
Soviet monument
I want to take the final bit of this final blog to discuss what made this trip so incredibly memorable: the people. This begins with the generous donors who allowed my colleagues and me to have the experience of a lifetime and grow tremendously in many regards. It is something that I am incredibly grateful for and cannot do justice for in words. Additionally, the faculty that led this study abroad were simply exceptional and the trip would not have been the same without them. Dr. Steigerwald: the man, myth, and machine and Lauren Henry never failed to make every moment memorable. Finally, I left Europe with twenty-two individuals that I am proud to call friends. They are amongst the remarkable individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and it was hard to watch the trip come to an end. From the pubs of London and shores of Normandy to the museums of Poland and the beer gardens of Germany we never stopped making memories.
The study abroad family
Thank you to all of these individuals for both an efficient and aesthetically pleasing journey.
-Tyler R. Webb