Photo by Erik Webb
Half of the students in the class meet up with five locals in a bar to drink together and talk about the different cultures and perceptions of each country and society.
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Remembering the Fallen
Today was a day that a lot of us were looking forward to on this trip, seeing Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. Omaha Beach was where on June 6th, 1944, D-Day occurred. American troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on that day in an attempt to take down the German forces. Quick fun fact before we get into our incredible day, Hitler was actually asleep when American forces stormed Omaha Beach and he didn’t know about it until later in the day.
Our day began with a visit to a German cemetery where German soldiers and people of other nationalities were buried. This is a unique cemetery for that reason, in which case people were buried their as individuals, not as a whole group of the same unit or of the same nationality. It was evident with the entrance to the cemetery. The entrance was a stone wall with a little arch way that we all had to pass through in a single file line. This proved the point of people being buried based on themselves and as individuals, as we all walked through individually.
After our time at the cemetery we head to the Pointe Du Hoc. Point Du Hoc was used as a German vantage point overlooking the English Channel. There were numerous bunkers that located there that were occupied by the Germans and gave them advantages over American troops. As we were walking to the cliffs we walked past a field, which at one point was covered in 4,500 land mines. Getting closer to the cliffs, there were these huge craters in the ground that were created from air raids from the allied troops which were incredible to see.
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The Paratroopers
The day started out with a bus ride to the memorial of the Bataile a la Fére, a memorial to medics during World War II. There we saw a tribute to the medics along with a statue in tribute to American airborne soldiers, also known as paratroopers. Paratroopers played a huge role in WWII in which they were the first people on the ground and would then survey and scout the land for other soldiers to come in. The only problem with the paratroopers, that we learned was that they often landed in the wrong zones.
After that we then headed to the Sainte-Mère-Église, where a paratrooper named John Steele had landed by mistake. Like many other paratroopers Steele landed in the wrong zone during World War II. Steele ended up landing on the tower of a church instead of his correct drop zone. To pay tribute to Steele the church has a mannequin of a paratrooper on the tower in full uniform with his parachute open on the tower.
Overall, it was a great day learning about the paratroopers and the huge role they played in WWII. They were a pivotal part of the American troops and allowed the troops to have a better read on the land before coming to Normandy.
A Day in Paris
As we say goodbye to another city in Germany we are en route to France! We had a quick stop in Frankfurt for the night before we headed off for a day in Paris. We arrived in Paris ready for a free day of crepe eating and sight seeing, along with 40° weather which we were all ecstatic about. For many of us it had been our first time visiting the city and couldn’t wait to see what the City of Lights had to offer.
We started our day being dropped off at Notre Dame, one of the most famous churches in the world. From there we enjoyed our free afternoons with some of us visiting sites such as the Louvre and the Arc De Triumph, while others utilized the stores and cafes on the famous Champs-Élysées. We then met back at Notre Dame, with our stomachs filled with delicious Nutella crepes and macaroons and were then off to see the Eiffel Tower.
Once we all got our touristy pictures with the Eiffel Tower, it was time for a beautiful boat cruise on the Seine. The cruise offered amazing views of all famous landmarks in Paris, including Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and some beautiful Parisian styled buildings. Not to mention that the cruise was made even more beautiful with the sun setting as we were on board.
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Final Times At Nuremberg
It was our last day in Nuremberg! Morale is high despite our busy schedule!! We had a late wake up and went straight to the Nazi Rally Grounds.
First, we went through a museum which talked about the rise of the Nazis and how Nuremberg played a part in WWII. These rallies were a form of propaganda for the Nazis, which spread antisemitic messages and support for Nazi power. There were a form of entertainment and clips and movies of the rallies portrayed them in a positive light. The rallies helped to create a community that people desperately wanted. The Nuremberg laws were also introduced at these rallies, which rid Jews of many of their rights.
Eventually, Nazi criminals were tried here for their crimes after the war for their part in the Holocaust. We went to the actual court house where these trails took place. We also walked around the huge rally grounds and saw just how immense they were.
Later, we did a group activity to help us decide which were the most important factors to what happened to the people in WWII. Sadly, we had to leave to catch our train to Frankfurt, which is our midway point to Paris! We are all very excited for the crepes but we will miss all of the pretzels and gingerbread cookies!!
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Canals and More!
Day 2 has arrived! We started the day off with a tour of walking throughout the city! Nuremberg had a special glory in the Medieval Ages as it was a huge political and trading city during the time. We went inside the St. Sebaldus Church which had traces of original war paintings.
We also learned about how Nuremberg relates to WWII. We went to another church which had a lot of its original artwork as it was preserved in a beer cellar under a castle during the war time. While much of the city is restored today, almost all of Nuremberg was wiped out from the fighting and bombing in WWII.
When the Nazis started gaining power, Nuremberg was picked as a major headquarter for a few reasons. It was a central location for the Holy Roman Empire as the newly elected emperor would come here for the first parliament. This was seen as a confirmation of an empire, which was symbolic to Hitler and the Nazis. Nuremberg was also seen as a perfect German town, and for the Nazis goal of Germanization, this was a picturesque place.
We also saw a church that was originally a synagogue. When the Black Death was around, the Jews were blamed for spreading this plague. The reason that less of them got it was because they had more ritual baths, which made other people suspicious. The synagogue was destroyed and made into a church and 550 years later the Nazis came for demonstrations and marches.
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Tagged Canals, History, WWII
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Elon Oak Trees Everywhere!
Time for a new city! After two train rides we successfully made it to Nuremberg! Upon arrival, we dragged our suitcases up the cobblestone roads, checked out the views and soon were on our way to go to the German National Museum.
This museum was started because of the rise of German nationalism in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was built to educate the German people; however no one had originally really wanted a national museum because the German people were not united.
One of our favorite paintings we discussed was a huge portrait of a German woman which was painted to hang on the wall behind the first president of the German parliament. Behind the woman is the colors of the German flag; this painting was the first time that these colors were allowed to be displayed legally. She also wears oak leaves which shows strength and deep roots. It happens to be that one of symbols of Elon is an oak tree!
We also spent some time looking at National Socialist (Nazi) paintings. Our guide at the museum posed the question of whether museums should display or hide these paintings as they obviously pose a lot of conflict and debate.
Later, we had a short break before going to dinner at Padelle d’italia, an Italian restaurant. We had four main dishes on top of appetizers and dessert! We can’t wait to see what else Nuremberg has in store for us!!
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Tagged Abroad, Art, Culture, Germany
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All in Berlin
And day 3 and 4 in Berlin were certainly successful and educational!
Yesterday we visited Sachsenhausen, a Nazi concentration camp used primarily for political prisoners. The camp prisoners were forced to work in factories or even cutting down trees. Many people were brutalized and killed in this camp, but this particular camp was never a death camp like the notorious Auswitz. However, many Soviet soldiers were murdered in this camp, as well as other prisoners, including communists and the Jews.
Attached to the camp was a training ground for the SS. The average age of these SS trainees was 20.7. It’s amazing to think that many of them were our age.
After Sachsenhausen we had free time for dinner. Our night was then made a bit more cheery by some music! We had a mini viola/violin “concert.
Today we started our day off with a visit to a Soviet memorial/cemetery that is here in Berlin. Notice that there are no individual graves here though? The USSR has a very different approach to honoring their dead as something of a bigger unit rather than individuals themselves.
We then went to a museum that is placed in the very building that the treaty that ended WWII was signed. The museum is a German-Russian museum and was full of WWII uniforms, currency, photographs, weapons, and more.
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Tor of Berlin
As my bad pun of a title should’ve told you (haha Tor. Get it? Like tour?), today we saw the Brandenburger Tor! This is an iconic place in Berlin, but also a very historical one. It was very interesting to look at old photographs in which the Nazi army once celebrated coming through that gate having defeated the French, and another 5 years later where destruction and a field hospital could be seen in front of the gate. The history is interesting, of course, but even more importantly the gate also certainly makes a great photo op.
We also visited the place in which Hitler committed suicide at the end of WWII, April 30, 1945. Although it was quite less impressive than that sounds because it really is just a parking lot today. Nearby was also the place in which Hitler’s chancellery building once stood, the propaganda building in which Josef Goebbel once worked, and a plaza area that was once used as a gathering spot for Nazi rallies. During the communist era, however, many of these buildings were destroyed and the open plaza was built over. This was a deliberate move by the Soviets in order to cover up and put an end to the Nazi power once and for all. So we got to look at some newer buildings that now stand in their place while lining up old photographs to see how things once were.
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Willkommen in Deutschland
We made it to Berlin yesterday! Our train from Prague got a bit delayed, so we got in about an hour and a half late, but plenty of fun was still had last night! We had an amazing dinner and afterwards had a TON of fun at a karaoke place!
Today was our first day out and about! Our brilliant tour guide Gabe gave us a fantastic walking tour in parts of the city.
In the picture above you can see us listening as he explains the history of the Germanic nations and the rise of militarization in Germany. We discussed everything including German culture, the damage (bullet holes particularly) seen from WWII remaining on some of the buildings here in Berlin, and the historical “game of thrones” that took place in Europe leading up to the establishment of Germany as a nation. Unlike some of the other cities we have visited so far, Berlin is a much more “modern” and “new” city, because Germany boomed much later than most other European nations. This means that the oldest buildings in Berlin are much newer than some of the ancient buildings we’ve seen in cities like Budapest.
Some highlights during our short tour was a memorial to the book burnings that took place in Nazi Germany and also a brief visit to a War museum in which an attempt on Hitler’s life was once made, which is where the above picture of us listening to Gabe was taken. Apparently there were many known failed attempts on Hitler’s life. I believe he said 44!
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