Last Day in Berlin

Me in front of a snowy Berliner Dom 

This quarter has gone by so fast!  It has been snowing all week in Berlin, which I am happy about because I will be going back to a rain-filled Seattle.  I finished all of my final papers on Monday so I have had all week to relax and explore on my own and play in the snow.  Tonight is our farewell dinner and our last meeting as a large group. I have had an amazing time during my 3 months in Berlin and I feel like I have grown a lot as a person. I would seriously encourage anyone to study abroad if they are given the chance because it is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.  I am excited to be back in Seattle with my family and friends but I am certain that I will never forget my time in Europe. I really hope that I am able to come back to Berlin someday!  I learned so much in Berlin about German history and perspectives that I didn't anticipate.    I fly back to Seattle tomorrow morning and after 12 hours of flying it will be nice to be home.  Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my blog and I hope my experiences were enjoyable to read about!



Auf Wiedersehen!
Becca

November 30th, 2012

Libby, Logan and I in Stockholm

It seems so surreal that today is the last day of November! I have just over a week left in Berlin.  I have really enjoyed the past 10 weeks getting to know a new city with so much history, but I am very excited to see my family and friends soon.   I have had a very busy week! Last Thursday was Thanksgiving and people in my program and I decided to have a potluck with traditional Thanksgiving food (or the best we could come up with in Berlin).  It was my first major holiday away from my family so it was nice to have a meal that resembled home.  Last Friday, I went to visit one of my friends that attends UW but is currently studying abroad in Stockholm, Sweden.  I spent three days touring the city with her and getting to know Stockholm. My friend is fluent in Swedish which was very helpful and made it easy to get around.  It was a really beautiful city and one of my favorites that I have visited in Europe so far.

My friend Libby (who I was visiting) and I in Stockholm

As it is week 10, things in the quarter are winding down and deadlines are approaching rapidly. I spent most of this week working on final papers so I didn't get the chance to explore the city.  It was a good week to be productive as it is getting very cold in Berlin.   A lot of people in my program have been getting sick, but thankfully I have been able to avoid that so far.


However, I had two really interesting site visits as a part of my course this week. On Thursday, we visited the EU parliament and spoke with a press agent for the current president of the EU, who is German.  I have heard and read a lot about the EU crisis that is currently going on, but I have never really understood it until hearing his presentation.  He was very in favor of Germany staying on the Euro and stressed its importance in relation to the European economy.  The second site visit was with Thorsten, we visited the Wannsee Villa where the Wannsee Conference took place.  Through my whole time in Berlin we have been reading about historical places and then actually getting to visit them, which is one of my favorite parts of studying abroad. It really makes the events come to life and, in my opinion, provides a better understanding of history. One of my favorite parts of the Wannsee exhibition was a room where they had quotes from relatives of Holocaust survivors as well as relatives of Nazi's. One of the quotes was from the great nice of Heinrich Himmler talking about how a classmate asked her if she was related to him, and she said yes. I think it really speaks to how Germans have a difficult time being proud of their heritage because it has been so troubled over time.  


My program is going to see an Opera on Sunday and I am very excited as I have never been to one before.  I am going to try to make the most out of my last week in Berlin.


I also found some street art from one of my favorite movies on a street in Kreuzberg that was about a 10-15 minute walk away from my apartment.

Street art in Kreuzberg, Jack Torrence of the Shining

Ciao!
Becca

Field trip to Prague

Me with Prague in the background

I am currently on the train back to Berlin from Prague. The train arrives in about 45 minutes so I thought it was enough time to jot down some of my experiences from this weekend.  Before arriving in Prague, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know anything about the city ahead of time, so I was in for a surprise when we finally arrived.  Prague is a very beautiful city.  It has a lot of old buildings that date back hundreds of year, which gives the city a very old European feel. It was really interesting to go to the Prague Castle (which isn’t a castle, but rather a complex of palaces along with a large cathedral) because it was very authentic. It felt like you went back in time hundreds of years upon entering the buildings due to the authentic renaissance architecture.  One of my favorite parts of the Prague Castle was the torture chamber/dungeon area. It was really cool to see and really interesting to actually go into the place where people were tortured hundreds of years prior.  It felt like it was straight out of a movie.  Another part of our tour that day was going to a beautiful viewpoint that over looked the city.  What makes Prague so unique is that it wasn’t bombed in the war so most of its buildings are still in tact.  I feel like a lot more places in Europe would be as beautiful as Prague if they weren’t destroyed in the war.   We went to a lot of synagogues as a part of learning about Jewish history, and I knew a lot of it already because of the synagogues I have been to in Berlin. We visited the “Old New Synagogue” which is still functioning, but was about 700 years old.    Another thing I really enjoyed was the Jewish Cemetery we visited, and our tour guide told us that between 40,000 and 80,000 bodies where buried there.  I have been to a few other Jewish cemeteries but this one was overflowing with stones and I can’t even imagine what it must look like underground.   One of the largest anti-sematic pieces of literature that tell lies and propaganda about the Jews features this cemetery as the meeting place of the Rabbi that are trying to take over the world. Prof Wagner told us this, and I had heard about the book before, and it blows my mind that there are people that would actually believe such a ridiculous and hateful story, but it just reinforces that a lot of hatred grows out of ignorance.  We also went to a really old library that reminded me a lot of Beauty and the Beast, which I assume that Disney drew inspiration from it, because it was very beautiful. I bought a postcard with a picture of the library because photos weren’t allowed and I wanted to remember the site.  I have been getting used to using Euros instead of US dollars during my time in Berlin, but it was really confusing to use to Czech Kronor because I had no idea what it meant. It reminded me of when I first got to Berlin and I was confused about the worth of the Euro.  I had a really good weekend experiencing Prague, but I am excited to arrive back in Berlin.  Although I enjoyed Prague, it seemed like a very touristy area which was unattractive to me. I saw probably about 30 souvenir shops (if not more) which just seems like overkill. It is little things like that which make me appreciate Berlin even more, as Berlin attracts a lot of tourists, but the city isn't specifically made for them. This upcoming weekend I am going to Stockholm, Sweden to visit one of my best friends from UW. I will be back in Seattle in just under 3 weeks and it is crazy to me how fast time is passing.

More later, Ciao from Berlin!
Becca

Outside of Cathedral

Prague at night

Jewish Cemetery

Inside of Cathedral

View of Prague from Charles Bridge

Visiting Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Panorama of the Camp

Entrance to the camp: During operation (left)   2012 (right)

"Work will set you free" 

Ruins of the Crematorium

On Friday, Thorsten took us to visit the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp site/memorial.  The reading for this week talked about how East and West Germany dealt with the actual sites of the camps. I learned that for about 10-15 years after the end of the war and the liberation of the camps, that they were mostly ignored and allowed to fall to ruins.  Sachsenhausen lies in former East Germany, about an hour north of Berlin. Controversies arose about how to properly memorialize the camp and what should be reconstructed.  In 1961, the GDR created its own memorial of the site, compromising the integrity of what actually happened there, as it was seen as a memorial for communists, and the presence of the Jews was almost entirely ignored.  After reunification, the memorial was redone to restore the integrity of the camps original layout, not by complete reconstruction, but recreating a sense of the boundaries of the camp and the pathways taken by the prisoners.   The reading also talked about landscape as memory and the history that is tied in to places of great tragedy such as concentration camps.  Being in the camp was a very powerful experience. The entire time I was there I felt a sense of sadness and uneasiness from just being in a place associated with so much death and suffering.  Unlike other camps, Sachsenhausen was primarily a forced labor camp, and not an extermination camp, although many people died there, around 100,000 people died of malnutrition, disease and starvation, among other causes. Although it was not meant for extermination as its sole purpose, there was still an area, called "Station Z" where people were systematically murdered by gunfire and then their bodies were burned in the crematorium. Thorsten told us a story about how supposedly people were brought into a room one by one, and that a guard would tell them that the SS needed their height, and that after going against the wall to be measured, someone on the other side would shoot them in the head. Then after they would be carried into the next room and promptly burned.  It was a very sad experience being in the camp.   We also saw the remains of the "Jew Barracks" which had been set on fire by Neo-Nazis in the 1990s.  Half of it had been destroyed, and an exhibition was erected in its place. The other half, while having evidence of being burned, still stood and I was able to walk through and see what it was like. I can't imagine having to live in the conditions that they did, and it really brought all of the things that I have been learning about Berlin and the Holocaust into real life.  Thorsten also explained that within the camp, not all prisoners were equal, and that a suppression tactic used by the SS to remain in power was to create disparity and hatred among prisoners by creating a hierarchy. I found this very interesting because I assumed that all of the prisoners would be united by their common suffering, but I learned that this was not the case.

Living Quarters of the "Jew Barracks" 

More later, Ciao from Berlin
Becca

November 8, 2012

On the roof of the Reichstag

View from the roof of the Dome of the Reichstag

Time is flying by in Berlin.  In exactly one month I will be landing in Seattle. I am starting to work on all of the final projects for the classes I am taking, and all I can think about is about where the time has gone. I am having the time of my life in this city and I am certain that I will never forget my time in Berlin.   About a week ago, we toured the Reichstag as a program. Ali got to come too, which I was excited about because I was really excited to see the building.  One of the most interesting things I saw in the tour was the writing of the Soviet soliders on the wall that had been preserved shortly after World War II.  I really admire how the German government as well as the people have come to terms with all of the history and memory that is present in their environment.  I just read an article that was assigned by Prof. Wagner and it talked about how "landscape is tied to memory" and that is a statement that I really agree with after all of my experiences in Berlin.    We got to go up into the Dome of the Reichstag which was really exciting as well.

East Side Gallery, Berlin

This was Ali's last weekend in Berlin, so we tried to do as many tourist-y things as possible. We waited in the long line to get to the top of the TV tower, but it was well worth the effort. We went at night so we got to see a 360 degree panoramic view of the lights of Berlin and it was very beautiful. I was able to point of some of the landmarks that I have come to be familiar with, like the Brandenburg Gate and the Berliner Dome, as well the general area of my apartment and Humboldt University.    Earlier that same day, we went on a bike ride to the East Side Gallery--which is a 2 km long stretch of what is left of the Berlin Wall.  Even though it is only about a 4 minute bike ride away from my apartment, I had not been there yet, so it was a fun and new experience for both of us. I got a real sense of the magnitude of the wall, as I have had trouble visually what it looked like even after all of my studies this quarter. The graffiti on the wall was very interesting and artistic. I am glad that a portion of the wall has been preserved because it allowed outsiders like myself to get a sense of what Berlin used to be like.

Inside the Reichstag Dome

On Tuesday, I went on an art walk with other students and our guide, Hans Konings, starting in the neighborhood of Wedding. It is a very diverse area, similar to Kreuzberg. We started out by going to an actual studio and getting to see artists at work.  One of my favorite was talking to a young woman who worked with wood to create amazing sculptures.  She was very passionate about her work and it seemed like she was becoming very successful.  All of the people that we talked to had a lot of creative capacity which is something I admire.  I saw a lot of really interesting art and talked to a lot of interesting people, but my favorite part of the experience was getting to talk to Hans. About half way through we all stopped to get coffee, and I had the pleasure of having him and his daughter sit at my table. I talked to him about his perception of Berlin and his own work. He is a very funny and interesting man, who was very knowledgable about all of the places that he took us.  He said that a lot of the non-state sponsored artists mostly care about having a place to live and a place to work, and little else.  He explained that is what made Berlin attractive because there are districts such as Wedding and Kreuzberg that can provide cheap rent, so that artists could move in and focus on their work. However, as I have been learning in Sabine's class, gentrification is becoming a problem and a threat to these low income/low rent areas.  Making Berlin more 'attractive' comes at the expense of the residents that having been living in those areas for generations and they make it more difficult for those people to remain in those areas.  The wood-working artist that we talked to said that she lived in Kreuzberg, and I can only imagine it is because it is still a place where there are cheap apartments available.   I really hope that Berlin doesn't succumb to becoming commercialized in every neighborhood because the diversity and roughness is what, in my opinion, gives Berlin its character. This week in class I have learned a lot about culture, diversity and migration. I really enjoy living in a part of Berlin where these things have manifested over the years, and I also have not witnessed any racism against Turks or other minorities, although I have read about it in class. This really connected to the walk around Kreuzberg that we did with the German students in the previous week, as they talked about the history of Kreuzberg and how it is at risk for gentrification. Usually when I am in school, I really don't enjoy doing reading in school, but the things I have read in both of my classes this quarter have been extremely interesting. The best part is being able to subjects of my reading in real life and having so much history in such a close proximity.    Tomorrow, I am going to visit Sachsenhausen concentration camp with Prof. Wagner and the class, and I am very curious as to how I feel after the experience.  

More later, Ciao from Berlin
Becca

My weekend in Amsterdam

Sarphati Park 

Anne Frank's House

Last weekend Ali and I went to Amsterdam. I have been in Germany for over a month so I was ready to see another part of Europe, as this is my first time out of North America. Our flight left at 7am on Saturday morning, so needless to say, Saturday was a very long day.  We flew out of the same airport that I flew out of when my class went to Munich a few weeks ago and it was a relief to not have to look up directions so early in the morning. We arrived in Amsterdam at around 9:30 am and made our way to  our Hostel. Since we arrived so early our room wasn't ready yet, so we had the opportunity to walk around for a while before settling in and taking a nap. After walking around for a while I got the impression that Amsterdam is a very beautiful place. Our hostel was right across the street from Sarphati Park, and luckily the weather was nice so we hung out there for a while until checking in.   After some much needed rest, we decided to take the tram toward the Centraal Station, which is the main part of Amsterdam and do some sight seeing. I have always wanted to see the Anne Frank House, even before I knew I was going to be studying abroad. Luckily, while walking around the city I saw a sign that said that it was only .8 kilometers away! After waiting in line for about 30 minutes we got inside and it was definitely worth the wait. I have learned so much about the Holocaust on the side of the Germans and living in the area where it was planned that going to a place where the effects took place was really powerful.  My favorite part of the house was her room. In her diary she talked about how bare and boring the walls where and that she wanted to make it more lively by putting up posters of famous people that she enjoyed.  Anne Frank has been idolized so much as a symbol of the Holocaust and being in her room made her feel very human and real; she was just a teenage girl exposed to the biggest horror of the 20th century.   One thing that was interesting was in a short video documentary on display it said that Anne never had such serious thoughts (that is known) before having to go into hiding, and that such a horrific experience turned her into a mature young woman with deep reflections and criticisms about the world around her even if she couldn't participate in it herself.  The exhibition itself was really well done in my opinion, although I was disappointed that the attic             

was inaccessible.   At the end of the exhibit they actually had the slip of paper with all of the Frank's names on it that was used by the Nazis to collect them. They also had videos of the liberation and the emaciated people and all of the piles of dead bodies at the camps.  It was a really powerful experience and I am very happy that I went.  

Near Anne Frank's House 

On a lighter note, the next day we went to see an English band called "Hot Chip" at the Melkweg, which is the largest music venue in Amsterdam. It was one of the most fun concerts I have attended.  It was really cool to be able to go to a music venue in a different country, as I have only been to ones in Washington. It was a sold out show and we had to wait in line for about 30 minutes just to get in, even though we already had tickets.   Earlier that day we went to the Heineken Experience, which was really fun as well.

Hot Chip at the Melkweg, Amsterdam

Heineken Experience

The weather held out for most of the weekend, but finally on Monday it started to pour down rain. We were planning on renting bikes and touring the city but the weather just didn't allow it. Instead, we walked around and spent a long morning eating a delicious breakfast at a cafe near our hostel.  We went there on both Sunday and Monday mornings and got omelettes both days. We also went to the "Pancake House" which is famous in Amsterdam on Saturday Night and ate some really good pancakes.  It was a weekend of good food. As I mentioned, Amsterdam is a very beautiful city but it is also extremely confusing. The set up of the city is almost a "U" shape, making it difficult to decipher when roads begin and end.  Also, every street looks very similar: a canal separating two nearly identical rows of buildings.  So, needless to say, we got lost a lot, which wasn't very fun in the rain.

Me in front of the Anne Frank House

I had a great time in Amsterdam with Ali but we were very happy to return to Berlin.  Even as a visitor, he told me that Berlin feels more like home than Amsterdam which made me really happy to hear as I am really coming to love this city. Many of my friends in the program are continuing to travel almost every weekend to different places in Europe.  With the exception of the class field trip to Prague I am choosing to stay in Berlin every weekend until I return to Seattle. I am really happy about this decision. Even after going to Munich and Amsterdam, the idea of traveling seems exhausting, and I haven't even come close to seeing all of Berlin.

Ali with a statue of Anne Frank near the Anne Frank House 

Until next time, Ciao from Berlin

Becca

October 30th, 2012

So much has happened since my last post!  First, Ali and I did a lot of research on what the best Currywurst place in Berlin was, and based off of the information on the internet, we decided to visit Bergmann Curry.  Let's just say we were not disappointed.  I have had a lot of Currywurst during my time in Berlin but this was definitely the best.  It was a little distance away from my apartment, we had to transfer from the U8 to the U7  and then walk a little ways, but it was worth it.  They served high quality sausage with delicious curry sauce, I highly recommend it to anyone who is in Berlin!  We are still planning on visiting some other famous Currywurst places such as Curry 36, but I think that Bergmann Curry will still remain the best in my book.

On Friday, Prof. Wagner took our class to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe near the Brandenburg gate.  I had never been there before but had heard a lot about it from classmates as well as seeing photos.  The reading that Thorsten assigned had a lot to do with the process of deciding which design to use for the memorial as well as a lot of other controversies surrounding its existence. All of the difficulties in trying to make the perfect memorial remind me a lot of what I have read about the erection of the Jewish Museum in Berlin that we visited last week.  I can't imagine having to design a memorial or museum that has the ability to accurately reflect all of the horrible things that the Jews have been through as a result of the Holocaust.  Fortunately, there are people more artistic and creative than myself that have been successful in articulating such a troubled history.  I really enjoyed seeing the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe; I was very captivated by its design. It slightly reminded me of the Garden of Exile from the Jewish Museum. The pillars don't seem overwhelming at first, being that they are only a foot or so tall at the edges of the memorial. Even looking over all of them from the outside, I guessed that walking through I could still mostly see out on top of them. Walking through it was a much different experience.  Toward the middle the ground is lowered and the pillars are almost more than 10 feet tall. In addition, the shape of the ground ranging from across the memorial is almost shaped like a sine wave, which makes it harder to navigate through. Even though we showed up as a group, as soon as we entered the memorial everyone went their own way and explored it.  I felt overwhelmed when I was at the tallest point of the pillars; I almost a feeling of claustrophobia.   This powerfulness that radiates from this memorial is, in my opinion, an effective method of conveying some of the emotions that are tied to the Holocaust.  All of the debate and time, as well as effort, that went in to the memorial is well worth it.  James Young, author of one of the articles I read, had a point that the debate about the memorial itself and the process of creating it serves the memory because it brings the events in to the minds of everyone.  That is something that I really agree with. I hope Berlin continues to erect Holocaust memorials on any scale, just so that the current ones are not forgotten and so they don't slip into the unnoticed objects of the every day routine.  We went into the exhibit underneath the memorial and I really enjoyed that as well.   I just returned from a visit to Amsterdam which I will discuss in its own post!

Above: Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe 

Ciao from Berlin,
Becca

October 22, 2012

Berliner Dome during Festival of Lights 

As of yesterday, I have been in Berlin for a month. I almost can't believe it! Time is going by so fast and I am having the time of my life.  Currently, my boyfriend Ali is visiting me from Seattle. During the first few days that he has been here I took him to Alexanderplatz to show him the TV tower, and then one stop further to Hackescher Markt to show him the Berliner Dome and Lustgarden and historical buildings in that area.  I was proud of myself that I was able to guide him around the city and show him all the landmarks that  I had previously seen on my tours.  Later in the evening, we went to the last day of the "Festival of Lights",  I had gone previously on one of the first nights and had only seen the lights on the Berliner Dome, but we decided to wander around toward the Brandenburg Gate and we saw a lot of cool lights on various buildings along the way.  It was one of my favorite nights that I have spent in Berlin so far.  On Friday,  Thorsten took us to the Jewish Museum in Berlin. It was within walking distance from the apartments so we decided to have a nice early morning walk to the museum. It has been really sunny in Berlin the last few days so it was nice to enjoy the sun while it lasted.  I had done extra reading to prepare for a presentation that I had to give that morning, so seeing the building and its interesting architecture really connected to the reading I had done.  The building emphasizes 'voids' as a representation of the numerous voids of Jewish History in Berlin as a result of the Holocaust.  Even without the exhibition, the building itself serves as a large tribute to the history.  My favorite part of the museum was the Holocaust Tower. It is a large cement room that is void of heat and the only source of light is from a rectangular slit in the ceiling.  Thorsten told us that the Architect, Daniel Libeskind, designed the room after hearing the experience of a Holocaust survivor. As soon as being shoved in a train while being deported, filled with feelings of fear and intense sadness, out of all the darkness on the train all she could see in the darkness was a rectangular slit.  Libeskind's recreation of this experience in the form of the Holocaust Tower was extremely powerful, the whole building itself was.  I was not very impressed by the actual exhibit itself, but I understand the idea that the museum wanted to move away from having Jewish History in Berlin begin and end at the Holocaust.   I am really enjoying my time in Berlin and my classes as well. The classes I am taking are the only ones where I don't get bored of the reading and I actually find it interesting. Being in the city where all these events have been taking place makes the history come alive.  My next mission is to find the best currywurst place in Berlin.

 More later,  Ciao!

October 15, 2012

Wow--I had an amazing weekend.  The past weekend was my class's field trip to Munich.  We left early Friday morning and everyone met at the Schoenefeld airport. I helped the group figure out how to get there from our apartments, and it was nice to be able to read the map and not become confused. I really feel like I am starting to settle in to my new life in Berlin.   On Friday, we went to OSKA fashion headquarters.  Initially, I wasn't the most excited because I am not extremely big on fashion, but talking to the owner was a really cool experience.  He was really nice and friendly and answered every question asked by our group really well. It related back to the presentation that I heard at the Bavarian Embassy in Berlin on Thursday.  The owner explained that the company was mid-sized and did very well and that Munich was a good place to be centered, which is something that I heard over and over again during the presentation.  It is really interesting to me that Germany, at least Bavaria, is run by small to medium size businesses instead of being ruled by large corporations like in the US. I think it makes it a lot easier for people to start their own businesses and actually expect to have some success where in the US it is difficult for a business to get off of the ground.  The owner even talked about how much the employees have a say in the company and that they had very few   problems because there is good communication and everyone works together. During the reading last week, it talked about the workers-council and I really found it cool to see that concept in practice. I could tell that he loved his company and the people that we saw during our short walk-through seemed to be really happy and enjoying themselves.  That night, the UW purchased dinner for us at the Ratskeller in Marienplatz. It was delicious. I had Bavarian duck and potato dumplings and it was one of the best meals I've had in Germany thus far. On saturday, we toured the BMW museum and that was really interesting as well.  I am really enjoying all of the places I have seen during my trip so far. They had a motorcycle with a side car on display from the year 1943, which is obviously a war-time production.  The tour guide didn't spend any time going through the role BMW played in WWII, where as it is quite evident that they provided a large number of airplane engines to the Nazi regime.  The lack of this information from the tour signaled to me that Munich is not ready to face its past. I saw this in other places around the city as they had very few memorials toward the Jews and other victims of the Third Reich.  This is my first time in Europe and I am loving experiencing a different culture and a refreshing change of scenery.   Saturday night, most of the people in the program went to the Hofbräuhaus  which is world famous for their beer. It was a really fun time and I am getting closer to people in my program.  I feel really lucky to be around such a great group of people; I enjoy being around all of them. On sunday, a few of us got up early (around 6am) and went to the Neuschwanstein Castle, which was about a 2 hour train ride away from Munich.  I was so tired on the way there, but I am SO glad that I got up and made the journey. It was a 30 minute hike from the village, which was a 20 minute bus ride away from the train station in Fussen.  From the castle, it was another 20 minute hike to a bridge that served as a viewpoint.  We were rushed on time since we had to leave at 2pm to make the train back to Munich in time to make our flight, but the viewpoint was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen.  I will upload pictures when I have faster internet, but it still amazes me that I was lucky enough to go to such a beautiful place.  We went on a guided tour of the inside and it was the first castle that I have been in so far in Europe, and the inside was amazing as well.  I am still exhausted from my adventure in Munich, but when I got back to my apartment in Berlin it really felt like home.   

Above: Me at the Neuschwanstein Castle Viewpoint 


More later, Ciao 

Becca 

October 10, 2012

It feels like almost no time has passed since by last post; time is moving very quickly in Berlin.  I can't believe I am already in my third week here. All my friends that have studied abroad have told me that it goes by in the blink of an eye, and now I am starting to see what they mean.  I am really enjoying my time here and I am going to miss it very much when my stay here is over. I have been settling in to more of a routine which is making it seem more like I am living here instead of being as much of a tourist. I really like being able to find my way around. I remember being so confused when I first arrived but now I can get anywhere in the city by simply reading a map.  Yesterday we went to the "House of Democracy" near Alexanderplatz and met with our tour guide from last week's visit to the "Topography of Terror", Sebastian Gerhardt.  He was a great and informative tour guide last week; he knew a lot about the history of Nazi Germany and I learned a lot from his presentation. During our visit yesterday we got to learn more of his background and experiences in Berlin. I learned that he was a young activist during the fall of the Berlin Wall and gave a lot of information about what life was like and more about the events in the time period in general.  One thing he said that really stuck out to be was when he was telling a story about one of his friends from West Berlin.  He said that his friend didn't really feel the effects of reunification until he moved much later to a part of East Germany, and that for the West it was just like they had gained a little bit more territory. I found this really interesting as we have been reading in class about the conditions in the East and how everyone was pushing for change and that the Fall of the Berlin Wall was a life changing event for so many. It is crazy to me to think that life could be so different in such a close proximity.  This contrast was really interesting to me and I really enjoyed Sebastian's presentation and learning more about reunification.  Another thing that I found interesting was Sebastian's focus on the funding of a lot of the organizations. He told us that the House of Democracy was completely self-sufficient in terms of funding and that gave them freedom that many other organizations didn't have because the others are obligated to play nice with the state in order to maintain their funding.  This gave me the impression that the House of Democracy was more authentic in its aims, which I really appreciated.   This weekend the program is going to a field trip in Munich which I am very excited for; I will update when I return.  Ciao from Berlin!

October 5, 2012

Above: Me and one of my classmates in front of the Berliner Dome

5.10.2012

I have been in Berlin for just over two weeks and the experience has been great.  I am really enjoying all the street art; it gives the city so much character.  Over the course of my time here I have been on many tours and seen a lot of the city.  Starting with the tour around Kreuzberg, I saw how close I am living to the Berlin Wall.  I am still having a hard time wrapping my mind around what it would be like dividing this city into East and West and having each side be unreachable and radically different.  Seeing the "Berliner Mauer 1961-1989" outline around the city is a small but powerful reminder of what used to be there.  In addition to the history surrounding the Berlin Wall, the remains of World War 2 and all of the Holocaust memorials are very powerful.  I remember on the city tour with Nigel and walking into the "Mother and Dying Son" monument and feeling a completely different energy than I had just felt outside. The empty room and black statue in the middle with the open roof created a haunting atmosphere that confronted me with feelings of sadness and almost mourning. Throughout high school and college I have learned a lot about WW2 and the Holocaust, but actually living in the city where it took place takes my knowledge to an even deeper level.  Being in the area by the Berliner Dome where Hitler rallies took place, or being by the new Humboldt Law school where thousands of books were burned evoke very intense feelings of awareness.
            On a lighter note,  on Wednesday 3 Oct a few of my friends and I went to the German Unification Celebration at the Brandenburg Gate. I had a very fun night as there were a lot of people there and a very happy atmosphere. It was my first time seeing the gate since I have been here, and it was a great site as it was lit up for the festivities. Although I went to this event mainly to have fun, it has a close connection with what I am learning in my classes here. I have been studying East and West Berlin before the wall came down, in addition to when it actually fell and thereafter. After doing reading and learning about how excited people where the day the wall fell, it made me happy to know that even more than 20 years later German people still come together to celebrate East and West becoming one, despite their rocky history over time.  At the end of a very busy week, my class went to the Topography of Terror in West Berlin and were given a very intensive run-through of the history of the SS and Gestapo during WW2 and their role in the Holocaust.  Our tour guide was very knowledgable and challenged my group to see beyond the photographs on display and look deeper into Nazi propaganda and how subtle yet effective it was.  At that location I had a similar feeling when walking into the "Mother and Dying Son" monument. It is extremely powerful to be in a place where so much history has happened, and the Gestapo headquarters still haunts the area, even though the building itself is no longer there.   Overall, my experience in Berlin so far has given me a large shift in perspective and awareness of important events in history.  One of the most important things I have learned has been the role of memory in personal and national identity. I am excited to explore more of the city and become connected with the memory of Berlin.