It is a little late, both Germany time and America time. I apologize. I nearly forgot to blog today, but luckily for you, it did not completely slip my mind.
Yesterday, I visited Sachsenhausen concentration camp just outside of Berlin. I think I'm still processing with I saw there and what I experienced. I didn't really know what to expect or how to prepare myself to visit such a notorious place. While I'm sure that Sachsenhausen itself doesn't stir any specific emotional responses, concentration camps certainly do. Being such an infamous historical topic, I guess I expected the worst. I recall that the Holocaust Museum had lots of pictures of emaciated victims in horrible situations. Images of stacked bodies could be seen at nearly every exhibit, and the brutality almost seemed to be a key theme for the museum. I guess that I expected more of the same. I thought to myself, "This will be an experience more intense than that of the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C."
It wasn't that at all. It certainly was shocking to walk where the victims walked, to see what the victims saw, and to be where they were. It was moving to stand inside the barracks where they slept and startling to see the places where they were murdered. Each different building had placard after placard describing different situations or experiences or events that occurred at Sachsenhausen. And while of course the history is extremely important, I think that Sachsenhausen has made me understand the Holocaust on a deeper level.
Like I said, the history of Sachsenhausen, or any concentration camp for that matter, is important. We should never forget the terrible atrocities that occurred during those years. By remembering these acts and remembering what happened can help us avoid repeating these same mistakes. The German language had two different words for memorial--Denkmal and Mahnmal. Denkmal means "memorial" or "monument," something to be commemorated. Mahnmal also has the same meaning but represents a kind of warning. It is a memorial that serves as a warning to future generations so that the same events will not happen again. For this reason, the Holocaust and the events of the Holocaust should not be forgotten.
But I think there is a deeper understanding than that. Once we get through the brutality and the violence and the horror that the victims experienced, we can look at the actual individuals themselves. I saw Sachsenhausen more as a memorial than a museum because the exhibits went to great lengths to tell stories of individuals and groups of individuals. And when we understand these stories, I think we can better understand the historical lessons of the Holocaust. We can understand that these were individuals who stood for something. These were individuals who embodied a specific creed or lived a specific ideology. These individuals believed in something so strongly, whether it be religious, social, political or economic, that they were willing to sacrifice themselves on behalf of their ideals. In the face of adversity, they did not fold. In the face of brutality, they did not conform. They did not fall back into what was easy, rather they stood strong. In the face of such hatred, this bravery is unparalleled, and I think that it is all too often lost in the statistics.
When we see the brutality and see the violence and terror carried out by the Nazis, then we think too often about how we can never repeat such acts ever again. While of course this is true, there is more to it than that. The victims left a legacy. They left a legacy of strong will, of resolve, and of bravery. They stood up for something in the face of the most terrible adversity and remained steadfast until the very end. This is a lesson for one and all. When we forget about this bravery and this resolve, then we forget one of the important legacies of the Holocaust. We forget those characteristics embodied by the victims and instead become lost in the violence of the National Socialists. We should be remembering the courage of the victims and should be practicing these same qualities. We face adversity every single day that can never compare to the same conditions that the victims at Sachsenhausen faced, yet we often find ourselves compromising our ideals and our morals. Who are we to compromise ourselves when others sacrificed their lives to defend themselves and their livelihoods?
While before I knew that the Holocaust was about much more that the horror of National Socialism, I think visiting Sachsenhausen has help me take it a step further. We should be honoring the victims for their courage by demonstrating the same characteristics they did rather than wincing at the violence. The violence should not be forgotten, but it should not be the focal point. If we don't remember the individuals, if we don't remember the stories, and if we don't remember the bravery, then we lose the true story. Ultimately, I think it comes down to what we remember. Do we remember the violence, or do we remember the courage? I think in this case they are very closely linked, we do ourselves a severe, severe disservice if we lose sight of the courage.
People often ask me why I find history so fascinating, and I tell them that what I like most is putting faces to the stories. I like reading sources and getting to know those who actually participated in events and actually lived these experiences that I can only read about. Yesterday, I felt like I looked that face straight in the eye, just short of sitting down and talking with it.
It is late; I have pictures that I will upload tomorrow. I promise.
On a completely different note, I have ordered tickets for the opening day of the German Bundesliga season! I'll be seeing Hertha Berlin play Hannover 96 at Olympiastadion. I actually get to go in this time. Additionally, I have reserved tickets to see Arsenal play soccer. Yes, I will be seeing Arsenal play a week from Wednesday! Who will they play? None other than Hannover 96. All's left to do is to book my train tickets to Hannover. Can't wait.
Deutsches Wort des Tages:
Der Mut -- Courage
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