A year ago I took one of the most transformative journeys of my life, with 24 fellow educators, to study the Holocaust and the Jewish resistance to it, in Washington, DC, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland. I kept an extensive diary and took tons of photographs. For the next several days, I have decided to go back and retrace my steps and try to process what unfolded for me. Not weighty tomes, but maybe a picture and a note from the diary.
Berlin. We arrived here late in the evening on the 5th from Hannover by rail, and set up headquarters in the Marriott Berlin, which is very nice, for a few days. On the 6th we ventured out by our tour bus to several places of note. Below I will show you the photos I took, and the World War II era context, and help you connect the dots.
The Reichstag.
The Reichstag with its transparent dome, so citizens today can literally look down and see what their legislators are up to. Hmmmm.
The Reichstag in 1945.
Brandenburg Gate. Tourists.
Brandenburg Gate, 1945. Tourists. Of the Soviet persuasion.
Above is the stadium built for the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. Still in use today.
Inside during the Games in 1936. Kinda makes you think a lot about how Hitler and the Nazi party came to power. Don’t forget, no one is forcing these good citizens to make the salute. Exhibit A: The power of nationalism, and charisma.
Olympic Stadium from the tower.
I know that guy…and so much for painting with too broad a brush.
reviewing stands outside the stadium proper.
Teaching History Matters 