Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Day 1 BERLIN

There's snow on the ground in Berlin as we began our adventures.   Bishop O'Dowd students had arrived yesterday afternoon and were able to tour the dome of the Reichstag building this morning while waiting for the rest of our group from New Jersey who arrived this morning.  We all met up at our hotel this morning and after brief introductions we were off on our day.  Our local guide, Olaf, took us first to the Central Airport which had been built by the Nazis and which later served as the airport for West Berlin until the unification of the city in 1989.   We were challenged to analyze  what the building could tell us about the identity of the people who had built it.  Mr. Barmore  led the discussion about the straight lines, the uniformity, and the symmetry, all values which were important to the Nazis. 

Our tour of Berlin continued as we went from the former West Berlin into East Berlin, passing through one of the three checkpoints which had served as links between the two sections of the city.  The checkpoints had been named Alpha, Bravo and Charlie.  We passed through the most famous of these checkpoints, Charlie, which has become more of a tourist attraction than many residents of Berlin prefer.  Olaf reminded us that many Germans who were living in the Soviet zone of Berlin, which would become East Berlin, were killed, trying to escape to the West Berlin zone. 
A new exhibition is being established to serve as a reminder to all visitors of these events.

We continued our drive through what was East Berlin, and Olaf pointed out sites such as the Berlin City Hall, the Jewish Museum which we will visit later in the week, and Aleksandrplatz, where thousands of East Berliners demonstrated during the Velvet or Peaceful Revolution in 1989. 

On the famous Museum Island, we  saw several museums which had been constructed under Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, and we learned how, at that time, Germany was, in fact, more than 300 dukedoms and municipalities.  Mr. Barmore spoke to us about how Frederick the Great wanted to unit these smaller governmental units and unify them into a united, modern nation of Germany and the practical difficulties of achieving that goal.  There ensued a discussion of "American nationalism" and what we believed that meant. 

 Ideas that were offered included:  freedom, wealth, the American Dream ........all of which Mr. Barmore told us, were individual goals, whereas in Europe,  when people are asked about nationalism, they tend to go immediately to their history and tradition, which provide a more collective identity.  When Frederick wanted to gather those with similar traditions into one nation, the most common and most important of those traditions was language, so he attempted to unite by force  those people who spoke German.  The Nazis would later attempt the same thing, trying to identify and define their nation by something which didn't actually exist.....a common 'blood'.

Our next stop was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews which is a city block on which are 2711 blocks.  We talked about what these blocks might represent to various visitors, the structure of the memorial, and what the architect might have wanted to achieve with his unique design. We then proceeded to two adjacent memorials to other victim groups in the Holocaust.   Across the street was the memorial to the homosexuals who were victims of Nazi persecution and a little farther down the street was the memorial to the Sinti and Roma victims, more commonly known as Gypsies.  Both of these memorials were distinct and we discussed the role of memorials. Is a memorial intended to bring understanding to an event and educate the visitor?  Is it intended to cause the visitor to ask questions and keep the event alive in our memory?  These memorials are all considered modern memorials which are often more interactive, disturbing, and thought-provoking. 

                                                                      After lunch at the Potsdamer Platz near our hotel, we proceeded to our last stop of the afternoon, the Topography of Terror, a museum which attempts to answer the question "How was it humanly possible?"  by taking us through the bureaucratic process of the Third Reich on the site of where many of the offices so instrumental in the Holocaust stood. 
We headed back to our hotel to check into our rooms and freshen up before dinner at our hotel.  After dinner we will be reflecting on the day's events and have our first journaling session before heading off to get a good night's sleep which the New Jersey students, especially, are eagerly awaiting.  Students will be posting their individual reflections on our blog beginning tomorrow.












21 comments:

  1. looks like you guys are having a great time! cant wait too see where you go next ! have funn!

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  2. Wow it look like u all are having a lot of fun. The places u guys have so far gone look so amazing and I can't wait to see the place u go next.

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  3. Happy to see and read that you all made it there safely and are learning already. I am looking forward to more reflections over the coming days. STAY WARM!!!!!

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  4. I'm thrilled to read your first blog post. Students, I know you're tired, but you have already seen and learned so much from Mr. Barmore and Olaf about nationalism and the rise of Nazism. I'm eager to learn your reactions to the memorials you saw and how Berlin today differs from your perceptions studying this history in the United States before seeing Germany. Always stay close to Mr. Barmore and listen to every word--he may be the most brilliant teacher you ever encounter (I know he's the most brilliant teacher I've ever known!). Write as much as possible in your journals every day, even though you're tired, because the days go too quickly and you will forget. Also, try all the food on your plates--especially desserts! Love to all--Mrs. Bauman

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  5. Thanks for a great overview of your first day. There's so much information & so much to see and learn. I love the advice prior about using your journals, it will be great to have that years from now to look back on as well. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity you've been given - soak it all up - think - listen - ask questions - write it down - find the relevance in our world & your lives - be kind to each other - enjoy. The best to all. Mary McElroy

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  6. Safe travels, Colleen and students. Stay warm indeed! I will be bringing my students over in a week and I will eager follow your blog (and will link you to ours. I'll be very curious to hear what you think of the controversial exhibition at the Judisches Museum right now. Also, what did you think of the Roma-Sinti Memorial? This will be my first viewing of it after many years of construction.

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  7. I am eagerly awaiting the posts from the students in your next blog. The expressions on their faces seems to tell a story enough. From reading their faces, I can sense their desire to understand more while also being a bit apprehensive about what they will find on this journey ... I'm looking forward to reading their words. Continued safe travels for all!

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  8. I am glad to see that you are all still awake after your long flight there. The sites you have visited seem very interesting and I cannot wait to hear from you in your blog. Have a great time and please stay warm. I hope the weather gets better.

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  9. Although you all must be exhausted, I am confident that it is secondary to what you have experienced today. I look forward to hearing about tomorrow's journey. You have such an important job....to bring home all you have learned...so we can "truly" comprehend what was uncomprehendable.

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  10. Hey guys! Hope you had a safe trip, and are enjoying the trip so far. As I went on the trip last year, I know that one of the most memorable things for me was the iconic memorial in Germany for the murdered Jews. I can't wait to see everyone's reflections on that specific memorial. Also, as I have read that you all have already listened to Mr. Barmore for a bit, a piece of advice is to try to take in as much as you can with him, as he says some of the most amazing things that i still reflect on a year later. Lastly, I hope you all enjoy the rest of your trip, and I can't wait to all the blog entries for the rest of the two weeeks!

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  11. Stay safe and enjoy it!!!! Time will fly by!

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  12. What an interesting reflection about the memorials - so much to think about and consider. Enjoy every minute and I look forward to hearing about all your journeys! Stay warm :)

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  13. I am so excited to see all the upcoming pictures and read all the students comments! I hope everyone gains something from the trip as it is a learning experience. I hope everyone has fun and im looking forward to hearing some stories when i come back!- Gaby Lieberman

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  14. Sitting here looking at the photos with previous students who went on the Holocaust trip. All of them said day one was their favorite! Best wishes again to all of you and I look forward to hearing your reflections.

    Mr. P

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  15. Great to hear the you all are doing so well. There are some great pictures of you all on both the blog and Mrs.T's facebook page. Look forward to more updates and pictures.

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  16. Glad to hear you all made it safe! We are all following you here back home and hoping that you enjoy every moment of this experience. The Lance can't wait to interview you and write about your trip when you get back! You will never have another experience like this...take lots of pictures and learn all that you can!

    Mrs. Groff

    P.S. We posted a quick spot for your trip on The Lance:
    http://thelance.net/2013/04/03/the-holocaust-trip/

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  17. It's exciting to see everyone learn and grow from this unique experience,be safe,enjoy your trip.We're looking forward to more pictures and posts.

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  18. The pictures you are posting and the words you are writing are truly touching; as you share your experiences with us about a time in history that we must never forget.

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  19. The modern Holocaust memorial was one of my highlights of the trip! It's an interesting piece to reflect back on throughout your journey: what is the meaning behind this vast monument? My initial examination altered throughout my journey.

    Enjoy this trip & take it all in. It passes quicker than you think.

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  20. The modern Holocaust memorial is as interesting as you made it sound in class a few weeks ago. It is clear that the architect's intention was to let observers interpret the memorial for themselves, making me wonder how I would perceive it if I had the opportunity to experience it myself. It's also fascinating how much can be revealed about the Nazis and what they stood for simply by taking note of the subtleties of their architecture.

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