Author: meyersburg.3

Interacting with History in Berlin

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Throughout our trip we interacted with museums and visited important places that made an impact during World War II. It was a sobering experience to be in places like Normandy because I stood where troops did on D-Day as well as where many died. I could feel the importance of where I stood.

Visiting Normandy – Arromanches

Berlin felt very different to me though. It was like a place that had stood still in time but also had moved forward past events during World War II and the Cold War. You could walk down the street and see malls and food places while also looking at the front of a train station that was important during the war. Even the museums stood still in time such as at the Topography of Terror. In front of the museum stood part of the Berlin Wall and underneath that were cells where the Gestapo tortured and murdered people.

Infront of the Topography of Terror Museum – The Berlin Wall

Berlin stood out to me as a place where they embraced the good and very bad of their history. At every turn in Berlin, you could interact with some kind of history.

I also felt that how people interreacted with museums were different. People stopped and read every piece of writing. They carefully looked at photos and other historical pieces as to not miss a thing.

It was one of the best experiences I had because it allowed me to also feel I could really take the time to look at everything and digest the information I was taking in. I think this is something we in the states could really learn from and incorporate. Instead of just quickly walking through or just glancing at pieces of history, we should really take in what we are looking at and experiencing.

Is there a way to visit Auschwitz correctly?

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Over the last few years there has been an uptake in criticism about, when visiting historical sites, one should behave. From people carving names into the Colosseum to even going past where one is allowed to go at these sites, it seems that we have forgotten how to interact with historical sites.

Knowing that I would be visiting Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau, I read the museums site to see what rules are in place and what to wear. I feel that while visiting a site like an Nazi Concentration or Death Camp, people should be quiet and reserved and respect those who lost their lives. The site did provide suggestions, for example, being careful about the graphic t-shirts you decide to wear and in general dressing for visiting a place like Auschwitz.

Upon arrival at Auschwitz, my surroundings were shocking. In the distance I saw camp fences and barbed wire which I expected. What I was not prepared for was other surroundings. To my left, I saw school children running around and vending machines. To my right, a long line of people were attempting to get into the camp but talking very loudly.

I understood we were not in the camp just yet so maybe it would get better once we were on the tour, and it did. The loudness stopped and a quiet fell over our group as we walked through a tunnel where names of some of those who perished, were read out loud.

We then entered the camp and a different kind of silence fell over me. I did not want to speak but if I had to speak it was at a whisper so that I did not disrupt the surroundings.

Going through each block and seeing the unimaginable things that were left in the camp like hair, shoes, prosthetics, glasses, and prayer shawls made me think about the millions of people who had once stepped where I did. Seeing the baby clothes, however, brought a sadness that is hard to shake. We continued through the site and soon were instructed that we would exit and go over to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Back to the entrance that seems like a million miles from where I had just walked but really was not that far from the entrance.

As we arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau, anxiety poured over me seeing the guard building and tracks that led into the camp. As I entered through the guard building and saw more of the train tracks, I had to finally give in and cry. The vastness and the thought that thousands of people at one time inhabited this space was all too much. I mean my own family members walked these paths and had been brought in through these tracks. We proceeded to the back of the camp to see the crematoriums as well as the monument built to remember those who died at Nazi hands. A little further back towards the front of the camp, we saw where mass graves were present and where those who were murdered were laid. What stood now was a small pond with flowers and four stones that commemorated where we stood. Further towards the front, we went inside the barracks to see where people lived while imprisoned here. Our tour then ended due to heavy rain, and we headed back to the hotel.

What I could not stop thinking about on our ride back was how I saw other people visiting this place. In Birkenau people were yelling to one another, taking selfies with the guard building behind them, kissing and laughing, and children were running and playing on the train tracks. This is a sacred place to those who lost their loved ones but that did not enter the minds of individuals acting this way. You would not treat a cemetery in such a way so why would Auschwitz be any different.

I think what is proper is different for everyone because the place means different things to everyone. What I do offer, though, is that we should be treating sites like Auschwitz and Birkenau as we would a cemetery because that’s what they are. We should respect the ones who were murdered and maybe think twice before we take that selfie with the guard building behind us.

 

England’s Un-Official Language’s

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As I walked into London Heathrow Airport, I had no idea what to expect for my first visit. I worried about how I was going to get where I needed to go and if I was going to be understood if I asked for help. While on the tube to get to the hotel, I heard the English language, of course, but then heard different language which was German. I could sort of understand that as well but at the same time heard French being spoken. It was beautiful to hear these different languages and then wondered how many other languages I would hear while in London and throughout our trip. With that thought in mind and as we headed out to our first outing, I started to listen to the people around me to see what other languages I could hear.

Throughout my time in London, I heard even more languages than I have ever heard before. I heard Russian, Polish, Irish, a few Middle Eastern and African languages as well. Someone’s language is not just communication between people but is also about one’s culture and background.

In London, different languages are normal and celebrated. I see the celebration of language in the museums such as the Imperial War Museum where multiple languages are displayed on plaques so visitors can take in the historical information. It is also shown in historical artifacts such as ones in Westminster Abbey and Imperial War. I can also see how different languages are encouraged at the gift shops of the placed we visited, like at the Tower of London where they had one book in almost 8 different languages.

This made me think of how we as Americans view different languages. In America, a lot of people feel that you should only speak English when you’re in America because that’s what is right. And while I can certain understand that viewpoint, I think that in doing so we erase so many wonderful new things.

The difference between London and America is England’s colonial history and immigration to London. While colonialism as exhibited by England has not positive to those colonies all the time, England has managed to incorporate everyone’s language into everyday life so that it is a normal occurrence. There’s also the issue of immigration then and now that has caused England to have a “language melting pot”. During World War II, many fled Nazi Germany, and its territories, so they had a chance to live not under a tyrannical government. Because of this large immigration of people, their language comes with them and once here, the language is continued to be spoken and even passed down in households since that is those peoples first language. This is no different from current events even after World War II.

It was refreshing and wonderful to see how everyone adapts to all these different languages in what seems to be such a small area. England’s official language may be English but has so many other languages that you feel like you have traveled the world even if you only travel in one neighborhood. Maybe next time you hear a language you don’t understand, stop and think about the beautiful method of communication being used and what it represents to someone.