Author: eyssen.5

The Emphasis of Trust in America and Germany

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The final stop on my study abroad tour brought me to Berlin, Germany from May 26 to May 31. Serving as the culmination of our efforts to study the European theater of World War II, we visited German and Soviet memorials as well as museums like the German Resistance museum and the SS museum. In addition, we visited the Reichstag, the place where the German parliament operates and also the location of an intense battle between Nazi and Soviet forces in the closing days of World War II. During my time in Germany, I was able to pinpoint an interesting cultural difference that I was surprised to encounter. In the United States, we love security. We’re hesitant to trust and we are big on making sure everything is fair. This is not always the same as what I’ve seen in Germany.

On top of the German Reichstag in Berlin.

On top of the German Reichstag in Berlin.

When I’m at school in Columbus, I work at a job downtown. I have to use the bus system to get to work every day. Every time I want to board the bus, I have to swipe my card. If I don’t have my card, I won’t be able to get on the bus. That’s the way it is. In Germany, we got a pass to use the rail and bus system in Berlin. After we had it activated on our first ride, we never had to show it again. We merely had to walk into a station and board the train we needed. There were no ticket machines. We were told that occasionally men would walk around and check for tickets. However, I never saw them. This was even different from Paris and London, where we had to swipe our passes every time we wanted to enter the metro.

One of the remaining sections of the Berlin Wall.

One of the remaining sections of the Berlin Wall.

Restaurants in Berlin were a place where I also noticed a cultural divide. In the United States, it is not rare for people well older than the drinking age to be carded. In Europe, I was never carded. I don’t think I can pass as an 18 year old anymore (the drinking age in most European countries), but I think there is a point to this. The Germans seemed more willing to trust the word of others. When we were done with our meal, we would often just walk up to the register and tell them what we ordered before paying. They took my word for it every time. This is unlike the American way of bringing checks to tables already detailing each expense.

Almost all of my classmates and one of our professors on the last night.

Almost all of my classmates and one of our professors on the last night.

The last three weeks have been the wildest adventure of my life. England, France, Poland and now Germany have each offered me insight into different ways of life. This trip has given me so much that I know I have not only learned a lot and had many incredible experiences, but I have also grown as a person. In both big and small ways, my perspective has changed. For example, I had never previously had to pay to go to the bathroom. Now, I pull out my wallet every time I approach a restroom (not a big fan of this cultural difference). Being abroad has made me appreciate my life in the United States even more. The simple pleasures that we never take the time to appreciate have made me feel so blessed to be an American. At the same time, there is so much more to be seen in the world that doesn’t include free wifi, four bedroom houses in the subdivisions and modern skyscrapers. If you search, you will find. I found out many simple things. There are still old-fashioned squares where people gather to sell artwork and other materials (Krakow). If you try hard enough, you can take a picture that includes both an 800 year old prison and a modern skyscraper (London). I would have never guessed it was so easy to actually get lost in a museum (Louvre – Paris). Study abroad has made me realize that the world is out there waiting for you. Waiting to transform, enlighten or amaze you. A broadened perspective awaits on the other side. My sense of place has come in to question, but only in the way that I now see myself as a piece in an interconnected, global puzzle instead of on an island. What I learned abroad isn’t something you can take notes on in class or watch a video about. It’s an experience that can’t be tested or graded. You have to live it.

 

Thank you for following my journey,

 

Ben

Eyssen.5@osu.edu

Preserving Humanity’s Darkest Hour

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I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland and attended our local public schools every year beginning in Kindergarten. In 8th grade, we spent a quarter of the school year studying the Holocaust in Language Arts. In 9th grade, I read Night by Elie Weisel and studied other Holocaust writings in class. In addition to this, almost every history class I’ve taken has included the study of the Holocaust. Through all of these classes, I have learned a lot of facts and numbers. I could tell you that 11 million people died during the Holocaust or that the major death camps instituted by the Nazis were located in Poland. Though very informative, this learning only achieved so much. Years in the classroom only offer so much. I lacked the historical understanding that would help me grasp the worst crime in human history. That changed when I spent the day visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp.

 

For the first time, the World War II study abroad program made a stop in Krakow, Poland. Making a stop in Poland has been something that has interested me since my acceptance into this program. When I told people where I was going to study abroad, they were always very interested to here that I would be traveling to Poland. And if they were interested to here about my travels to Poland, they were amazed to here that I would be traveling to Auschwitz. The name itself conjures a reaction without anything else being said. Being at the camp helped me to realize the challenges that it faces. One of the most difficult tasks of the employees is to maintain the inventory and buildings that the Nazis so desperately wanted to be destroyed.

 

In the original Auschwitz camp, the horrors of mass extermination were put right in front of my eyes. We walked through buildings that contained items the Nazis stole from Jews and other groups sent to Auschwitz upon arrival. There were pots. There were eyeglasses. The most moving parts were a room full of shoes and a room full of 2 tons of human hair. In the face of such a scene, I had trouble comprehending what I was seeing. It was hard to even imagine that each pair of shoes and every strand of hair belonged to a real person who was killed in the Holocaust. When we went block 11 and I saw a small room that people were crammed in to and left for dead I didn’t want to believe it. We passed by small brick rooms where four people were forced to stand for days on end without being able to move or sit down. We walked out back to the wall where the SS tortured and shot prisoners. We saw the gallows where they hung prisoners in front of other inmates in order to instill fear and obedience in the others. We saw for ourselves the gas chambers where the Nazis forced hundreds of thousands of Jews into a small room and then proceeded to kill them with poisonous gas. How is it possible for someone in the modern day to even imagine these horrors? What are we supposed to make of something that doesn’t even happen in our worst nightmares? For this reason, we need to do our best to remember. And for this reason, the camp must be maintained.

 

I saw workers in Auschwitz I (the original concentration camp that I have mentioned) working on the restoration of a building. In Birkenau (the death camp built after the Nazis decided on the “final solution”), some of the barracks are in danger of collapsing. I read that millions of dollars are spent on preserving this site along with some of the most skilled employees the country has to offer.

The front gate of Auschwitz reads Albeit Macht Frei meaning "Work Sets You Free"

The front gate of Auschwitz reads Albeit Macht Frei meaning “Work Sets You Free”

Remembering our past is not always easy. But it must be done. We have to keep the train tracks where the Nazis hauled in prisoners in cars that were cramped to the point of not being able to turn around. We have to keep the path where prisoners who were deemed unfit to perform slave labor were pointed to in order to be escorted to the gas chambers. I was numb as I visited these locations. I really didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to shake my head and hide from this horrible truth. We can only come to terms with history’s most horrific events when we face them head on. The important thing was that I was actually at the camp and only that allowed me to more fully comprehend the terror of the Holocaust.

Auschwitz II (Birkenau) is the large-scale extermination camp built in 1941.

Auschwitz II (Birkenau) is the large-scale extermination camp built in 1941.

It was a sunny day in Auschwitz. The parking lot was full of buses and cars that had transported visitors to the camp. Other cars drove straight by the camp. The horrors of the camp may not have even been present in their mind as they passed the rows of barracks and remains of gas chambers. One way or another, the Polish town of Oswiecim had to move on just like the rest of the world. However, moving on does not mean forgetting. The Nazis wanted these crimes to be erased. They blew up gas chambers in Birkenau in hopes that their crimes would also disappear. The memorial that the camp has become is clear evidence that the people who do the work of preserving this camps ghastly inventory have not forgotten. Now, it is up to the rest of the world to follow.

Small Business and Big Cemeteries in France

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The second country I visited for my study abroad tour was France. On Saturday, May 14th we took a ferry across the English Channel from Portsmouth, England to Caen, France. Our journey began here because of the historical significance of this area in 1944 and 1945 when the Allies launched the D-Day invasion at Normandy beach. We stayed in a small town named Bayeux. This is a humble town is centered around a cathedral that was built in the medieval times. Our main excursions while here were to museums and monuments in and around Omaha and Utah beach, which are the locations where American forces began the Normandy invasion. It was an incredibly moving experience to stand on the beaches where men gave their lives in order to help liberate Europe from Nazi control. I was particularly moved by a few specific experiences during my six-day stay in Bayeux. These experiences led me to get to know two people in very different ways. One was an owner of a café in Bayeux. The other was a soldier who died on June 6, 1944.

We stayed in a small town named Bayeux.

We stayed in a small town named Bayeux.

This small town was a change of pace after being in a city like London. The only way to travel around town was to walk. There was one main street and one grocery store. However, the town did not disappoint with the number of eateries and cafes. They lined most of the little streets. During my stay, I became particularly fond of a small café named Au Georges II. I went there frequently to get a Crepe with Nutella on it (tastes as good as it sounds). After a couple of days, I befriended the owner of this shop. I learned that his name is Jacques. Despite the obvious language barrier (he only spoke French and four years of high school Spanish didn’t really help me in France), I said hello to him every day I passed the café. On our last day in Bayeux, I was able to memorize a few sentences and give him a small gift.

I made a new friend in France. He is a small business owner named Jacques.

I made a new friend in France. He is a small business owner named Jacques.

This unlikely friendship is symbolic of what it was like to live in small town France. It had a feel unlike the large cities that we will be spending much of our trip in. It was a more relaxed pace and it was easy to feel at home. At the same time, this was nothing like the suburban lifestyle I have become accustomed to in the United States. Everybody walked to the outdoor shops and restaurants that were located along the river that ran straight through the town. The biggest concern as a tourist in Bayeux was whether or not the wifi would work (it usually didn’t). This peaceful town with beautiful architecture was a great change of pace for a group that also went to London and Paris.

Walking through the American Cemetery in Normandy.

Walking through the American Cemetery in Normandy.

In addition to my stay in Bayeux, another big part of this site was the cemeteries we visited. In total, we visited three cemeteries: a German cemetery, a British cemetery, and an American cemetery. They each held the graves of soldiers who were killed during the Normandy campaign. It was stunning to be at both the places soldiers fought and the places they were laid to rest. I was particularly struck by the American cemetery. The cemetery is located just beyond the sands of Omaha beach, where the bloodiest fighting took place on D-Day. We began by placing a flag at the grave of twelve Ohio State students and faculty that died during the Normandy campaign and are buried in that cemetery. After this, we were given time to look around the grounds where 9,387 young men were buried. Time to pay our respects. Time to reflect. Time to contemplate. The rows and rows of crosses made it easy to yearn to know the stories of each individual soldier represented by each gravestone. This really hit me during my time alone at the cemetery. I wanted to know about each man, or at least think about who he was. When this thought hit me, I immediately walked down a row and stopped at a random grave to contemplate and gather my thoughts.

The grave of PFC Fred W. Plumlee.

The grave of PFC Fred W. Plumlee.

I don’t know Private First Class Fred W. Plumlee. I don’t know where he was when he died in combat on June 6, 1944. I don’t know where he lived in Georgia, what his family was like, or what he wanted to do with his life. All I know is what is engraved on his gravestone. A simple google search did not lead to anything definitive about this man. All I know is that his grave was in the exact spot where I stopped to spend a half an hour contemplating individuality in World War II. Though he is just a small grave in a sea of thousands of gravestones, he was still a person. I thought about what his dreams may have been, what his past was, and who the people were that he loved. Though I can’t answer any of these questions, I thought about who he might have been and considered whether or not he had anything in common with me. It was here that I reached a great understanding. Though we can’t know the story of every soldier who died in World War II, that’s not the part that matters. What matters is that we recognize that behind each gravestone is a unique man who deserves to be recognized as such. Though I couldn’t and think at all 9,387 graves, I did stop at one. And that made all the difference.

Another Big Ben in London

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I was in the city of London from May 9 to May 14 as part of my study abroad trip. I got to visit many historical locations and also had time to see the attractions this city has to offer. I arrived early Monday morning and made my way to our hotel on the famous London Tube. After a classmate and myself arrived at our station, we had trouble finding the hotel. However, our problem didn’t last long thanks to the help of a kind man who put his cigarette in his mouth and took out his phone in order to look up directions to our hotel and help us get there. My first foreign meal came shortly afterword and was interesting to say the least. I went with six of my classmates and found a very small Greek restaurant a block from our hotel.   We may have let our hunger cloud our judgment as we got a table. Most of the tables still had plates with food on them from previous guests. It was a one-man operation (literally there was only one employee), but the falafel and French Fries really hit the spot. First lesson I learned in London: Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Most of my classmates managed to get in this picture I took.

Most of my classmates managed to get in this picture I took at Buckingham Palace.

After that, our professors tasked us with completing a practice run on the Tube to Trafalgar Square. I helped lead my group through the “scenic route” (taking the long way only means that you’re getting more practice right?). With our rail and tourist passes in hand, we were set free to explore London. I was able to walk by Big Ben (we have a lot in common), Westminster Abbey, and even the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. Exhausted and a little bit jet lagged after my first ever flight, I spent the rest of the night trying to get ready for my oral report the next day (Procrastination still exists when studying abroad). And that was only the first day.

Spelling out O-H-I-O with Catherine and Avery. Big Ben makes a pretty good I.

Spelling out O-H-I-O with Catherine and Avery. Big Ben makes a pretty good I.

As part of our requirements for this course, each student has to give an oral presentation at a historical site or monument. The location I was assigned happened to be in London and we were also scheduled to be there on our second day. This is a memorial honoring the service of Bomber Command, a segment of the Royal Air Force, in World War II. The memorial was opened in 2012 by the Queen and is in the beautiful Green Park, which is near the hotel we stayed at. On our way to the memorial, we saw Buckingham Palace. The memorial is dedicated to the 55,573 members of Bomber Command who were killed in World War II. After the Battle of Britain from August-September 1940, Bomber Command went on the offensive as it attacked German cities and industrial strongholds in Nazi Germany. Civilian casualties were high in Germany, just as they had been in Britain during the London Blitz. The Bomber Command memorial also recognizes the destruction of human life that is caused by aerial warfare. When we visited the Churchill War Rooms, we saw the complex underground network that Prime Minister Winston Churchill would spend time in when London was being bombed during the London Blitz. Being in London made me realize how much bombing changed the lives of both soldiers and civilians during the war.

The Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial

The Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial

Londoners haven’t forgotten the war. Everywhere you go it is evident. You have the physical monuments and memorials, and you also have the general attitude of the city. People are tough and don’t like to waste time. They’ll walk around you on escalators or honk at you if you’re in the way on the roads. Despite this, they look out for one another and care about everyone who comes in their city. I noticed simple random acts of kindness that made the city seem friendly. At dinner one night, a man grabbed my friend Catherine’s purse that was hanging on her chair and said she should put it somewhere safer so no one would steal it.

The best way to travel around London is on the Tube.

The best way to travel around London is on the Tube.

If the war taught London anything, it’s that they have a city worth standing up and defending. Bomber Command was a part of this defense from the time of the Battle of Britain and the London Blitz until it turned on the attack against Germany. The memorial and what it means still resonate with the people of London. Even though there were runners and cyclists cruising by as I gave my presentation in front of the memorial, the recognition of the war is not absent.  The number of monuments and memorials make it clear that London has not forgotten the war.

Beautiful image of Windsor Castle. The Queen was inside celebrating her 90th birthday.

Beautiful image of Windsor Castle. The Queen was inside celebrating her 90th birthday.

I could tell you more of my adventures in London, but I think it would be better to use numbers. They tell the story of my brief but meaningful experience in London. 78, the number of steps it takes to get from the bottom of the Lancaster Gate Station on the Tube to the street above (this was the stop we got off every time to get to our hotel). 18, the number of pictures I have on my phone that have Big Ben and me in them. 5, the number of times I mixed up Tower Bridge and London Bridge. 4, the number of floors the M&M shop in Piccadilly Circus (the Times Square of London) had. 3, the number of miles I walked to find the perfect location to get a picture of Windsor Castle. 2, the number of friends from Ohio State who were studying abroad in London for different programs that I got to meet up with for dinner. 1, the number of feet the Calzone I ate at an Italian restaurant was. And last, the infinite number of reasons I have to want to go back.

History Through My Eyes

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My name is Ben Eyssen and I am a sophomore at Ohio State. I am a Finance major and a History minor. As far back as I can remember I have been interested in history and the lessons that can be learned from it. This study abroad trip will provide so much more depth to my understanding of history than reading about events in a textbook. I am incredibly thankful to all of the donors, professors and staff that have made this trip possible. The comprehensive experience of this time period that the program offers is an excellent way to ensure that the memory of World War II is shared with younger generations.

This trip will be transformational for me because I have never traveled outside of the United States. Now, I have the opportunity to visit some of the most historic places on Earth. I anticipate some of the highlights being our visit to Bletchley park, where the British code breakers operated and Omaha beach, where Americans faced heavy resistance when attempting to regain a foothold in continental Europe. I will also appreciate the solemnity of experiencing Auschwitz-Birkenau, a site that has been carefully preserved in order to document one of mankind’s darkest hours.

After this trip ends, I have the opportunity to visit three more countries: the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary. I am going to use this time to take in the history and beauty of a culture that long preceded the settling of my home state of Ohio. As our veterans get older and World War II becomes a memory that only few can say they lived through, I believe it is essential that every generation understand the trials faced by The Greatest Generation. We have a responsibility to recognize the mistakes of the past in order to ensure that they are never repeated.

 

Hope you enjoy following my journey,

 

Ben