By Michael Lawrence
So today we toured the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, right by the Brandenburg Gate, in what was previously known as no-man’s land to East Germans during the Communist Era. The Architecture was definitely a change of pace, which left the viewer to determine its message. We toured the upper half and the lower (underground) half. In the lower half we saw numerous account of individuals being deported; as well as, pictures and stories of individual families, and detailed information on the Death Camps (not concentration). Let me interject, death camps were used primarily for the murder of Jewish masses, whereas the Concentration Camps focused on slave labor. After that we took a bus tour of Berlin and saw many World War II and Cold War sights. We saw the Berlin Wall again from the East Berlin side, we saw Rosenstraße, and the main train station that deported Jews to the various death and concentration camps throughout Europe. Seeing these sights, where these events we have learned about actually happened almost made me feel sick to my stomach. More specifically, at the train station. I painted a visual picture in my mind of all these innocent people being told they are going somewhere safer, then being deported to their deaths. This trip has been ever so humbling and I will always value this amazing experience. I encourage as many people as possible to further your education on the Holocaust.
