Interestingly, we thought there was a dearth of public exhibits pertaining to the Second World War in Berlin. Perhaps we were just looking in the wrong places, but there is a distinct feel that John Cleese from Fawlty Towers may have just been onto something!
We persevered and discovered that the Deutches Historisches Museum had an exhibit running currently dedicated to all that was the rise and fall of the Third Reich. The exhibit set out to answer many an unspoken question – such as how did Hitler rise to such supreme power, by means of exploring the current political and social climate. A fascinating display!
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| Museum |
Seeing first hand numerous artefacts from the war certainly brought home the extreme horror and sheer despair suffered by thousands at the hands of the National Socialist Party.
Moving on from this amazing Museum, we ventured over to the Neue Wache – the central German memorial to all victims of war, created in 1816. This historical building strongly contrasted with that of the more modern interpretation further down Unter den Linden.
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| Neue Wache |
The Holocaust Memorial is a stark reminder of all the Jews that lost their lives throughout Europe. Completed in 2005, the dark grey columns of varying heights symbolize the six million Jews and others that were murdered by the Nazis in Concentration Camps between 1933 and 1945.
Walking amongst the columns towards the deep centre, you couldn’t help but feel the extreme cold, damp, and darkness. Walking back towards the light certainly helped to lift the sombre mood, making it all the more moving considering this was never an option for those to which this structure is dedicated.
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| Holocaust Memorial |
In the words of the Roman Philospher, Aurelius Augustinus, ‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.’
This is one page in history that should never have been written.
How unbearably sad. (The memorial I mean.)I have a friend whose mother was in the Hitler Youth and when asked about it she said "oh everyone joined, it was just like the Scouts". How easily these things happened, how easy to find scapegoats for our own ignorance (blame everyone but yourself) and this was only 65 short years ago. We must teach our children real history.
ReplyDeleteI remember walking through those stone columns and having similar feelings. How can human beings who are supposed to be intelligent, treat fellow human beings in that way??
ReplyDeleteIt is terribly sad that even though it is a page in only recent history, that such murderous acts are still being carried out and there are people in the same dispair in certain parts of the world today.
May there be travellers that continue to visit and talk and remember these times, in the hope someday, the human race learns it's lesson before it is too late
In rememberence xx
Please excuse the spelling errors...having an "off" day...haha
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