Berlin Day #1

Berlin

Today Germany is a country of 3.4 million people (the 4th largest economic power in the world).  Made up of modern states both before and after the war (Berlin to the East and Kerr to the West), all united officially in 1987.  Berlin is Slavic for swamp and was originally developed in 1871 by uniting local principalities into "modern" Germany.

Walking through Berlin yesterday was an experience that was interesting yet strange at the same time as placed throughout the city are various memorials, monuments, and sites that reflect pieces and elements of the war and prior.  Berlin is one of the cities with some of the, if not the most Holocaust memorials/monuments in Europe.

I am going to attempt to summarize and highlight the important and items that spark numerous feelings over the next few days, at first the accurate names may not be listed, please be patient.   Upon my return home as begin to reflect on my journey I will post articles with greater detail on the sites visited on MRH.

Oranienburg Synagogue 
- the synagogue was built at the time as a controversial item as it stuck out in Berlin and it was not local to the area
- symbolized, "we can do what we want and we are not afraid"
- on November 9th, 1938 synagogues and Jewish businesses were burned and broken into
- prior to the outbreaks of violence and changes the population of Jews in the area shrunk from a size of approx. 160,000 to approx. 75,000 after people emigrated outward
- this synagogue was burned and a local fireman put out the fire but it is unsure if his actions were ideology based or because the building was so close to others in the neighborhood (the fireman never joined the Nazi party)
- the synagogue was used for storage throughout the war and today is a museum
- today the building is surrounded by a number of security features including roadblocks, laws that don't allow people to stand outside the building, as well as, both uniformed and planned clothed patrol officers for protection and security

First Jewish Cemetery/location of Local Old Age Home
- first tomb is from 1671 (place of birth Vienna), only stone in the cemetery is that of Mendelson the Father of Jewish Enlightenment
- people were brought to the Home beginning in 1941 to be held prior to deportation
- around 55,000 Jews were brought to this 'common' area throughout the Holocaust
- the monument being placed on a stone represents eternity
- Chanie in our group picked up one of the small stones surrounding the the park and placed it on the monument, in the Jewish culture placing a stone on a monument or tomb symbolizes that someone has been there and the are thinking about those people(s)

Functioning Jewish School
- built by Mendelson for Jews to learn to learn 'non-Jewish' subjects (math, science, etc.)
- prior to 18th century Jews did not learn 'external' studies
- security had always been present at this school (and many Jewish schools throughout the world for that matter), " hatred is hatred, bur reasons change"

Missing Section of House
- "come and see what you can't see"
- originally Jewish homes given to Germans, portion of the building was bombed out during the war and not replaced
- the names of the victims are printed on the side of the building next door
- by French/Jewish artist

Stumbling Stones
- "when name is forgotten, person is forgotten"; "better to be seen then not seen at all"
- 17,000 created by a man at a price of 96€ each; 3000 are scattered in the roads throughout Berlin (the biggest monument)
- negatives: small, on the ground, not protected (graffiti)
- positives: gets people to look down, blends into the city (part of life)

Mother With Child
- created by an artist with the first name Cathy; a socialist and a well k own artist
- her art was considered degenerative throughout the war and she was not allowed outside of her home
- the statue is to represent mourning and above it there is an opening in the ceiling (mourning is continual, when it snows there is snow on the statue)

Site of Book Burning at University
- 20,000 books were burned on this day to symbolize the Jewish literature poison that existed in the libraries
- the memorial underground beneath a sheet of glass is simply empty book shelves where those 20,000 books should be

Gay Victim Memorial
- a simple, tall, black concrete block with a video screen inside of two men kissing; something during the Holocaust that could have you arrested, deported, or shot
- as Dustin stated, "something so simple, yet, so powerful"

Reichstag/Brandonburg Gate
- in the centre of the city where the Berlin Wall once stood diving the East and West of the country
- the largest and only remaining gate, this gate has bared witness to history at this lowest and highest moments
- amazing how one piece of history can represent so many things to so many different people

National Jewish Victim Monument
- columns and rows so perfectly straight, yet the blocks amongst them so different, varying in height/depth/width