Today we learned a lot about Nazi Germany from a variety of perspectives. It was one of the most fascinating days I've had so far. In the morning, we started by going to the Berlin Underworld Museum. The actual museum is located in one of the remaining WWII civilian bunkers, so we climbed down below, deep into the concrete tunnels...
The exhibit was primarily based upon the lives of German civilians during WWII, comprised mainly of women, children, and the elderly. We learned about Rubble Women, who earned food stamps for moving rubble away from bomb sites. We also learned about the serious lack of space in bunkers around the country, the 50€ the government charged for a gas mask for your child, and the complete and utter disrespect for Eastern Europeans, essentially forced into slavery by the Third Reich. But what I found most interesting was the fear of responsibility forced upon Germans during the War: an immense weight was put on Germans to "do their share" to aid the war effort. Failure to black out windows properly, for example, could result in humiliation the first time; a second offense, though, and you could be tried in court for treason. I found it shocking to get a glimpse of life for Germans at such a time--a side of the war Americans rarely talk about. We tend to picture Germans as angry Aryan Nazis, killing everyone in sight; we rarely see mothers walking down streets with gas mask baby carriers.
Following the tour we visited a WWII watchtower. We climbed up the GDR-made hill to the top, where we saw an amazing view of the city while contemplating the fear created by such a structure. Then we split into small groups and went for lunch in the Turkish neighborhood. Sehr gut! We had an amazing time, and I enjoyed some amazing food. Dr. Wolf made us split into new groups, and I'm so glad he did--all of us were able to make some new friends.
After lunch we had to deviate from our plan because of interrupted train routes, so Wolf took us back to Mitte, the former Jewish Quarter, for a walking tour. It is now an up and coming neighborhood for young urbanites and upscale young families, as most of the homes and buildings have been reconstructed since the reunification. And yet some untouched buildings remain, like ghastly shadows amongst the gleaming refurbished structures. In the case of many of these properties, once beautiful homes for wealthy German Jews, the last property owners (who most likely fled after the Soviet takeover) before the communist regime have not been located, so no one is available to spend the funds necessary to rehabilitate the buildings. It is amazing to think that 25 years ago (or even less), ALL of these buildings were like this, falling apart at the seams and in utter disrepair. It must have been such a shock when the first ones were rehabilitated; I would imagine that after spending decades gazing at grey, so many colors and textures would be quite the surprise.
While on the tour we also stopped at a memorial for the Berlin Jews taken to concentration camps. In the site of the memorial alone, over 55,000 Jews were rounded up and taken to concentration camps. As is fitting with Jewish tradition, many people had placed stones on the memorial in remembrance. It was so moving to be able to place a stone on the memorial--the site of remembrance for these thousands who were stolen from their homes and their families, most to never return.
When we finished our walking tour we went to our last stop of the day, the Topography of Terror Museum. The museum is situated on a corner with four important historical buildings: the Prussian Parliament building (now a state parliament building), a minor prince's palace (now a Bauhaus Museum), a small portion of the Berlin Wall, and the Luftwaffe Headquarters (now a government building). The land plot itself was once SS Headquarters; the building was demolished, and a museum about the Nazi regime was built in its place.
Our tourguide at this museum was phenomenal; he took us through many parts of the museum dedicated to understanding how the National Socialists came to control an entire nation and start a World War. We learned so much about how the Regime worked, and how, essentially, it could happen again if we are not cautious. It was scary, and it was sad, but it was so very interesting. Learning about the "bad guys" happens all of the time in the US, but we don't very often stop and think about why they managed to get a following in the first place. This was a serious and dark museum, but it was fascinating just the same.
To end a long and difficult day, many of us went to Gendarmenmarkt, one of the nicest Christmas Markets, to celebrate one of our group member's birthday. We ate bratwurst, heard a choir, and visited what must have been hundreds of shops. But the best part was when, while looking at some beautiful wool handwarmers at a stall, I had a conversation with a shopkeeper who thought I was a native German speaker for a good minute or so! She eventually asked me something I didn't understand, so I asked what she said, and we talked for some time. She was so nice, and suprised that I came from America. One of my goals forthis trip was to become more comfortable speaking German, and I really have been! By the time I leave I'm going to be so good at it (if only my vocab would learn itself!), and I'm so excited for that.
All in all today was amazing. I'm having a much better time now that I'm adjusted. I can't wait for tomorrow, our first time leaving Berlin since we arrived. Schuss!
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